The Downstairs Girl

Chinese American teen fights prejudice in witty 1890s tale.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know the Stacey Lee's The Downstairs Girl is set in 1890s Atlanta and told in the voice of Jo Kuan, a 17-year-old Chinese American girl. Jo lives in a secret basement apartment with her elderly guardian, Old Gin. The Bell family, who live in the house above the basement, have no idea Jo and Old Gin have spent years living just beneath them and listening to their conversations. When Jo overhears that the family's newspaper is in danger of failing and they might lose their home, she comes up with idea to save both the newspaper and their (and her) home. While working as a lady's maid for the snobbish daughter of wealthy plantation owners, Jo begins secretly writing an advice column for the paper under the name "Miss Sweetie." The columns are an immediate hit with readers and subscriptions soar. But when she begins to take a stand for equal rights for women and people of color, a rival newspaper sets out to expose Miss Sweetie's identity. White characters refer to Black characters as "colored" and sometimes as "nigras." Chinese are called "coolies." A naked man tries to sexually assault Jo but she fights back and gets away. A character is severely beaten, and there's a brief mention of a man who commits suicide by hanging. As in her previous books (Outrun the Moon and Under a Painted Sky), Lee places relatable young Chinese characters in stories about significant events in American history. The Downstairs Girl was a A Reese's Book Club YA Pick and chosen for Best Book of the Year lists by NPR, The Washington Post, and School Library Journal.
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What's the Story?
The Downstairs Girl is Jo Kuan, a smart, bold 17-year-old Chinese American. Jo lives with Old Gin, who's been her guardian since she was abandoned by parents she never knew. They live in a secret basement apartment under the home and print shop of the Bell family, who publish a local newspaper. Unbeknownst to the Bells, Jo and Old Gin have been living in the apartment -- formerly a hideout of abolitionists -- for years and secretly listening to their private conversations about their family and business lives. When Jo is fired from her job at a hat shop for being a "saucebox," her only alternative is a job as a lady's maid for Caroline Payne, the stuck up and generally obnoxious daughter of one of Atlanta's richest and most influential families. When Jo discovers that the Bells' newspaper has lost so many subscribers they may lose the paper and their home, she comes up with a plan to save them both. What the paper needs, believes Jo, is an advice column. Taking the pen name, Miss Sweetie, she writes a first column and slips it through the mail slot of the Bell's door. The column is an immediate hit and new subscribers flood the newspaper. At first, Jo's columns are witty, lighthearted, and free of controversy, but when she begins writing about discrimination, segregated trolleys, Jim Crow laws, and a woman's right to vote, there's an immediate backlash and a rival paper sets out to unmask Miss Sweetie. The identity of Miss Sweetie isn't the only mystery in this story. Jo finds a hidden letter that could finally reveal the identity of her parents, and she becomes involved in a secret interracial romance.
Is It Any Good?
This chapter of American history is wrapped in a mystery and spiced up with a secret romance all told by a witty and bold young Chinese American tween in the 1890s. The character of Jo in The Downstairs Girl will inspire readers who are activists and offer a story of encouragement to readers who, like Jo, may feel their talents and gifts are being overlooked or undervalued.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the diverse cast of characters in The Downstairs Girl. How does reading about characters who come from various ethnic or religious backgrounds help you better understand and be a part of the multicultural world in which we now live?
Did it surprise you to learn that suffragists often felt it was OK to discriminate against women of color?
Would you ever take guidance about relationships or family problems from someone who writes an online advice column? Why might someone turn to a stranger for advice?
Book Details
- Author: Stacey Lee
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Topics: Activism, Great Girl Role Models, History
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: August 13, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 16
- Number of pages: 384
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: September 27, 2021
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love Asian American characters and historical fiction
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