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A review by kirstyreadsblog
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
4.0
Big thank you to Piatkus for sending me a copy of this book so I can write an honest review.
Content warnings: racism towards black people and chinese people, violence, horse racing, physical abuse
This was one of the books I definitely had my eyes on this year. I love historical novels when I’m in the mood for them, and I always keep my eyes out for historical novels featuring POC written by POC. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a historical book about Chinese people in the south of the US so it had all the bells dinging in my head.
When Jo loses her job at the millinery to a white girl she has to return as a maid to the place which fired her when she was younger as very few places would hire a Chinese girl. No one knows she lives underneath a newspaper printing house in a basement created by abolitionists. When the newspaper runs into some trouble, fearing for her living situation, she tries her hand at writing some articles for them, and suddenly the newspaper starts flying off the shelves.
I absolutely adored Jo. She was such a strong character (and I don’t mean that like “strong female” character nonsense). Her voice just shined through so well. I knew exactly the kind of personality she was very early on and found her so easy to love.
Continue my review here: https://wp.me/p7j3Jr-2Fc
Content warnings: racism towards black people and chinese people, violence, horse racing, physical abuse
This was one of the books I definitely had my eyes on this year. I love historical novels when I’m in the mood for them, and I always keep my eyes out for historical novels featuring POC written by POC. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a historical book about Chinese people in the south of the US so it had all the bells dinging in my head.
When Jo loses her job at the millinery to a white girl she has to return as a maid to the place which fired her when she was younger as very few places would hire a Chinese girl. No one knows she lives underneath a newspaper printing house in a basement created by abolitionists. When the newspaper runs into some trouble, fearing for her living situation, she tries her hand at writing some articles for them, and suddenly the newspaper starts flying off the shelves.
I absolutely adored Jo. She was such a strong character (and I don’t mean that like “strong female” character nonsense). Her voice just shined through so well. I knew exactly the kind of personality she was very early on and found her so easy to love.
Continue my review here: https://wp.me/p7j3Jr-2Fc