During the Gilded Age, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan lives in the margins as one of the few Chinese people in Atlanta, Georgia. Forced to accept a job as a lady's maid, Jo secretly writes a newspaper advice column for Southern women. When Jo uses her anonymity to challenge the Southern view on race and gender, the backlash threatens to expose her and places her in the path of Atlanta's most notorious criminal.

Stacey Lee's young adult historical fiction novel is the perfect light read that sprinkles cute teenage romance with a little-known historical setting. Since Jo is neither white nor black, she gives a unique viewpoint to the South as the Reconstruction is ending and the Jim Crow Era is beginning. The Downstairs Girl does a great job hitting on major themes such as racism and sexism but keeps the story light and enjoyable for teens and adults.