The Downstairs Girl

De: Stacey Lee

Narrado por: Emily Woo Zeller

Duración: 10 h y 22 m

Resumen del Editor

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Spectacular." (Booklist starred review)

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.

Bravo!

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

Wonderful Listen!

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

Sweet and sad story

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

Delightful Surprise!!

I love historical fiction. I love books about other cultures. This book is both. What a gem!!! I wish that this author had more books!

Courage

The descriptive richness of the characters led credibility to the storyline and drew in the emotions of this reader.

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.

Great Story

Well written, loved the voice of the reader, they did a great job “dramatizing” the individual characters, but especially the feeling and attitude of the main character. Hoping there’s a sequel! (Haven’t checked)

Stay with it!

I was distracted in the beginning, no fault of the author or narrator, and almost gave up. I’m glad I didn’t! Stay with this story for some secrets, plot twists, and gratifying revenge.

Narration sound is uneven

Story is great but the narration is so quiet while the dialogue is so loud. It makes finding a comfortable volume level impossible. I also found the accent distracting but got used to it eventually.