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
