• The Downstairs Girl

  • By: Stacey Lee
  • Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
  • Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (964 ratings)

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The Downstairs Girl  By  cover art

The Downstairs Girl

By: Stacey Lee
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
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Publisher's summary

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, 17-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.

©2019 Stacey Lee (P)2019 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Spectacular." (Booklist starred review)

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What listeners say about The Downstairs Girl

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    4 out of 5 stars

Emily Woo Zeller always blows me away

Emily Woo Zeller is one of my favorite narrators. This book feels highly relevant and necessary in a racist society who needs to learn for its mistakes. I throughly enjoyed the South of the United States and how vividly and well portrayed this time period is. The story is a bit too slow paced for me and not developed enough in terms of the potential of some characters. I enjoyed the diverse cast and the feminist take on Jo.

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Bravo!

Amazing book! I loved every minute! The reader was fabulous also! You won’t be disappointed!

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Wonderful Listen!

Worth the credit or the purchase. Definitely would recommend to anyone looking for something uplifting.

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Sweet and sad story

Sweet and sad. Great characters. Great plot with a little mystery. I do love Stacey Lee’s books.

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Delightful and Heartwarming Historical Fiction

As someone who doesn’t live historical fiction, I really enjoyed this book. Hearing how Asian Americans were caught in this weird in between “classification” in the Deep South racial tensions in America. There were lots of plot twists and surprises and I finished it so quickly!

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So many lessons

Great story, very well written. I loved all of the historical references and the hidden meanings and lessons throughout the scenes and relationships. Highly recommend!

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A Wonderful Book!

I’ve found myself listening to a lot of Stacey Lee’s books lately and this one definitely does not disappoint. The story is wonderfully written with multiple lines coming together beautifully, and Emily Woo Zeller is an amazing narrator.

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Great story

This was an excellent book; as I’m not Asian They’re view of southern living in post civil war Atlanta was illuminating. That we as whites tried to segregate everyone into their own little pockets was sad. I liked Jo and her family that raised her. Billy Ray was despicable but he was raised to be that.

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Loved this Book!

I really enjoyed this book so much! I enjoyed all the characters, the good and the bad! Great read!

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Resilience, love, kindness win the day

Jo is a very likable, admirable Chinese teen orphan living in Atlanta during Reconstruction, who along with Old Jin is eking out the life that is available to them at that time in this country. Old Jin's wisdom and love for Jo have helped make her who she is and who she will be, While finding ways to do more and be more, she uses her sharp wit and self-confidence to make life better for them both. They endure racism and poor treatment and in the end Jo learns about her family and the ways racism was a part of them and effected them.

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1 person found this helpful