The Downstairs Girl: Reese's YA Book Club by Stacey Lee

A New York Times Bestseller and Reese's Book Club YA Pick, Stacey Lee's The Downstairs Girl is a historical YA novel set in the New South that follows seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan — by day a lady's maid, by night the anonymous voice behind the "Dear Miss Sweetie" newspaper advice column — as she wields the power of the press to challenge racial and gender injustice while searching for the truth about her own origins. Praised by critical coverage, critical coverage, and NPR, and recognized on year-end lists from People Magazine to School Library Journal, it stands as one of Lee's most decorated works.

Reviewed Apr 5, 2026