Book Summary and Reviews of The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

Book Summary

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.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Stacey Lee says in her author's note that she's "always trying to tell the stories of people who've fallen through the cracks." Why are these important stories to tell? In what ways both literal and metaphorical is Jo Kuan someone who has fallen through the cracks?
2. Part of Jo's identity is informed by the racial dichotomy of black vs. white. As a Chinese person, Jo doesn't fall into either side of this divide, providing her with both privileges as a non-black person and marginalizations as a non-white person. What are the different ways both Jo's privilege and lack thereof are exemplified throughout the story? What does that mean for someone who experiences intersectional identities?
3. Jo often shrouds herself in shadows...