Overview

From the critically-acclaimed author of Under a Painted Sky and Outrun the Moon and 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.

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9781665221573

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Reviews

Spectacular.-- Booklist Starred Review The Downstairs Girl holds a mirror to our present issues while giving us a detailed and vibrant picture of life in the past...As Jo tackles all injustices head-on, and tension rises, the book races to a soundly satisfying conclusion. -- New York Times A bold portrait of this country's past, brilliantly painted with wit, heartbreak, and unflinching honesty. -- Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author Emily Woo Zeller's dynamic narration and Southern accent pair well with the author's elegant writing style...Zeller masterfully employs varied tone, pace, pitch, and accent strength to convey the men and women of late-nineteenth-century Atlanta...Zeller's intense energy during moments of tension is wonderfully immersive, making this audiobook hard to pause. -- AudioFile Unflinching in its portrayals of racism yet ultimately hopeful and heartfelt, this narrative places voices frequently left out of historical fiction center stage. -- School Library Journal (starred review) Vividly rendered, intriguingly plotted...Jo's example of resistance and hope is sure to resonate with today's readers. -- Washington Post

Author Information

Emily Woo Zeller is an Audie and Earphones Award-winning narrator, voice-over artist, actor, dancer, and choreographer. AudioFile magazine named her one of the Best Voices of 2013. Her voice-over career includes work in animated film and television in Southeast Asia. Stacey Lee is the critically acclaimed author of the novels Under a Painted Sky and Outrun the Moon, the winner of the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction. She is a fourth-generation Chinese American and a founding member of We Need Diverse Books. Born in Southern California, she graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, and then got her law degree at the University of California, Davis.

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