Review: The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

Okay, so maybe I do read more historical fiction than I thought. So far in the month of April, all the books I’ve read have been in that genre. Well, I mean, it’s only three books, but still.

Anyways. . . Today, I have a review of The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee, a wonderful historical fiction novel, set in 1890.

Title: The Downstairs Girl
Author: Stacey Lee
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Series: None
Page Count: 366

Synopsis: “From the founding member of We Need Diverse Books comes a powerful novel about identity, betrayal, and the meaning of family.

By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady’s maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, “Dear Miss Sweetie.” When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society’s ills, but she’s not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta’s most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light. With prose that is witty, insightful, and at times heartbreaking, Stacey Lee masterfully crafts an extraordinary social drama set in the New South.“

Content Warnings

racism, sexism, violence, assault

There are no spoilers in this review.

“We are all like candles, and whether we are single or joined with another does not affect how brightly we can burn.”

Stacey Lee, The Downstairs Girl

The Downstairs Girl is a beautifully written coming-of-age story, set in Atlanta in 1890.

This story follows Jo Kuan, a young woman who was recently fired from her job at a milliner’s. She gets another job as a lady’s maid, to a family she has served before when she was younger. Jo and Old Gin, the only family member Jo knows, secretly live in the basement of the Bell’s printing shop. After overhearing that the newspaper is losing subscribers, Jo decides to become an ‘agony aunt’ under the pen name of Miss Sweetie. But as she starts to address more and more serious topics, other things start to come up, leading Jo to explore her own background.

Stacey Lee has a knack for creating amazing, diverse, female protagonists and Jo is no exception. I loved reading through her narration. Being Chinese American, she’s constantly reminded about how she isn’t a real American. However, Jo isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believed in, even if she is speaking through the pseudonym of Miss Sweetie. She’s kind and compassionate and you just want to root for her.

This story showed me a lot about what it was like in the South back in the 1890s. It was both an enjoyable read and an educational one too. The historical aspect was done really well and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It was realistically done, and all the racism and sexism sadly did happen back then. Stacey Lee uses this pieces of history to show how people like Jo and Noemi lived through and struggled in the society that didn’t respect them.

I also enjoyed the romance that Jo had with one of the minor characters. It was subtle, which I liked, but there was enough of it. A lot of YA books make the romance a bigger part of the novel than it needs to be, but this one didn’t.

I was pretty surprised about Jo’s parentage. I’m still slightly confused on it, I don’t fully understand who her father is, but maybe I missed a spot or something.

I had a lot of fun reading The Downstairs Girl. If you’re looking for a historical fiction book with a strong, female protagonist and great story, this is the novel for you.

My Rating: 4/5 dragons

Have you read The Downstairs Girl? What did you think of my review?
Chat with me in the comments below!