The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

In this historical novel, Jo Kuan is a Chinese girl living in Atlanta. She and her guardian secretly live in the basement of a newspaper that could use some help. The newspaper’s readership has declined and it is in trouble. But Jo pulls from her experience of dealing with sexism and racism every day and decides to send the anonymous “Miss Sweetie” column to the newspaper, hoping a woman’s perspective on women’s issues will gather public interest. And it works! “Miss Sweetie” is a hit, but nobody knows it’s her. It’s a strong contrast to her day job as a maid for the wealthy Caroline Payne, who is her age and very spoiled.

But when the secrets of her life begin to unravel, will she be able to continue to be Miss Sweetie, or will it come crashing down?

Though this book is young adult fiction, I believe it will appeal to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. The book is available in regular book format and it is available in audio format on Libby and Hoopla through our library.

Darcy Lepore
Library Director

Available at the Langley-Adams Library