The Downstairs Girl

    • 4.4 • 214 Ratings
    • $9.99
    • $9.99

Publisher Description

A Reese's Book Club YA Pick and New York Times Bestseller
 
From the critically acclaimed author of Luck of the Titanic, Under a Painted Sky, and Outrun the Moon 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.
 
"This vividly rendered historic novel will keep readers riveted as witty, observant Jo deals with the dangers of questioning power." --The Washington Post

"Holds a mirror to our present issues while giving us a detailed and vibrant picture of life in the past." --The New York Times

"A joyful read . . . The Downstairs Girl, for all its serious and timely content, is a jolly good time." --NPR

GENRE
Young Adult
RELEASED
2019
August 13
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
384
Pages
PUBLISHER
Penguin Young Readers Group
SELLER
PENGUIN GROUP USA, INC.
SIZE
4
MB

Customer Reviews

stace1005 ,

Clever, witty and deep

A vibrantly told story of the times that white America is afraid to have the curtain pulled back. Stacey weaves a beautiful knot between discrimination, wisdom and forgiveness.

3tzmom ,

Nothing special

This book took me a while to get through. There was nothing in the plot or writing style that made me want to keep reading. It’s not a page turner and became a chore to finish it.

AdrienneSlothouber ,

Really enjoyed

I read this book in two days it was so good.

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