The year is 1890 in Atlanta, Georgia. 17-year-old Jo Kuan works as a milliner's apprentice making hats for society's wealthy elite. Though the pay is meager, it's a job that Jo is good at and is grateful to have given that she is a girl who, by necessity, has lived in the shadows all her life. Abandoned by her parents when she was a baby, Jo was taken in and raised by the elderly Old Gin, who works as a caretaker on the estate of one of the wealthiest families in Atlanta. Jo and Old Gin live quietly in a dilapidated basement that used to be a hideout for abolitionists – a basement located underneath a print shop owned by the Bell family, who have no idea that the space (or the Kuans) exist. When Jo is fired from her job unexpectedly (due to her being "too opinionated" according to her employer Mrs. English, though the real reason is because Jo is Chinese), she has no choice but to return to the Payne estate and work as a house maid for the family's cruel daughter Caroline (who hates Jo with a passion). One night, through a pipe in the basement, Jo overhears a conversation between the Bells and their son Nathan that inspires her to start an advice column in their newspaper, using the pseudonym "Miss Sweetie." The column, which focuses on addressing society's ills from the female perspective, becomes wildly popular, but also garners backlash from those uncomfortable with society's fixed notions being challenged. When Jo discovers a letter that provides clues to her past and who her parents are, she must decide whether to remain hidden or risk coming out of the shadows.
This is one of those books that proves, once again, that we shouldn't judge a book purely by its genre. I know this book is largely categorized as YA, but to be honest, it really doesn't read like a typical YA novel. In addition to the story being very well-written, with endearing yet realistically-drawn characters, I also thought the historical and cultural elements of the story were really well done – most impressive though, was how the author, Stacey Lee, was able to so seamlessly weave in complex social commentary about race, class, privilege, identity, etc., which actually made this an unexpectedly timely read despite its setting in the 19th century. Reading about society's prejudices back in the 1890s and the discrimination that people of color faced during that time, it both frustrates and saddens me to be reminded, once again, that, even though our society and our country as a whole have both a come a long way, many of the attitudes and biases haven't changed all that much. With that said, I am heartened by the increasing presence of books like this one in society nowadays — books that don't hold back in terms of bringing important issues to the forefront and helping to initiate necessary conversations about social justice and the need for change in our society. I absolutely love the fact that the main protagonist in this story is a young Chinese woman who defies the typical gender and cultural stereotype — a woman who is smart and feisty, opinionated, yet kind and compassionate, and most admirable of all, bravely rises above her circumstances and stands up for her beliefs, even in the face of society's harsh criticisms and prejudices. I also love how all the main characters — the most well-drawn and endearing characters — were either Chinese (Jo and Old Gin) or Black (Noemi and Robby).
Thinking back to my own childhood, growing up as a Chinese girl in a city as supposedly diverse as Los Angeles, it was nearly impossible to find books with Asian supporting characters in them, let alone Chinese characters (and female ones at that). I remember back then, the only way for me to read fiction books with characters in them who looked like me, was to have relatives buy books in Hong Kong and send them to me here. I wish there had been books like this back then that do a way better job of educating youths about diversity and acceptance than school textbooks; that would've been way more helpful for a Chinese girl like me — one of only 3 Asian faces in the entire school — to actually stand up for myself, rather than constantly shrink into the shadows, stay quiet, keep my head down, and draw as little attention to myself as possible; that would’ve helped me navigate the contradictions of my identity and understand that it didn't matter whether we were born here or grew up here, by virtue of our "foreign" faces, this will never truly be our home and we will never truly belong — but yet we must strive to make our situation more tolerable, if only for survival's sake.
There were so many scenes in the book that I was able to relate to; that had me nodding my head in agreement at how true to life many of Jo's and Old Gin's experiences were; that had me both laughing and crying at various moments throughout the story. For me, one of the most heartbreaking scenes was that last segregated streetcar scene near the end of the book, which powerfully summed up what the Chinese experience has been for many of us in America.
There is a lot to unpack with this book and it's impossible for me to do justice to it in such a brief review. I definitely recommend taking the time to read this one — if anything, for its glimpse into history and culture. Yes, this is ultimately a triumphant story and perhaps even a predictable one in terms of plot, but it is an absolutely worthwhile read — one that I'm sure will continue to stay with me for a long time!
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