Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Stefanie Land was a woman in her twenties, living in the Port Angeles region of Washington State (the Pacific Northwest) and dreaming of moving to Missoula, Montana to study writing at the University there. She met Jamie and they moved into his trailer. Within a short time, she found that she was pregnant. Jamie was adamant that she have an abortion. She decided to have the baby. He ultimately demanded that she leave and take the baby with her.
Thanks to Land's willingness to work hard at a low-paying job as a maid, she and her little girl survived a cycle of ongoing sadness, fear, stress, illness, financial exploitation, betrayal, abuse, and other trials and misfortunes. This book came to be through the author's desire to record her story of desperation and obstacles as a poor single mother in the representation of-- giving voice to-- thousands of others on the same treadmill of poverty. She meticulously details the bureaucracy and bigotry that attempts to keep her stuck as a victim. Happily, she also shares the edifying kindnesses and encouragement of people who helped to counter some of her rougher experiences, and who she looks to as guides in her journey towards a dream of a better life for her and her child.
If you saw a series of the same name and theme on Netflix, you have seen a slightly different set of stories with many different characters. The movie series was popular with viewers. The book provides more details of the six years of struggle for survival for Stephanie and her child. I enjoyed both the movie series and the book. The Kirkus Review (back cover of the book) states that this book by Lands is ''An important memoir that should be required reading for anyone who has never struggled with poverty.'' I would add that this book will likely remind those of us who have known poverty as a young adult and or single parents, how much we have to be grateful for if we have moved beyond that status.
Stephanie Land, the author, gives an excellent introduction to her book in this video:
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Stefanie Land was a woman in her twenties, living in the Port Angeles region of Washington State (the Pacific Northwest) and dreaming of moving to Missoula, Montana to study writing at the University there. She met Jamie and they moved into his trailer. Within a short time, she found that she was pregnant. Jamie was adamant that she have an abortion. She decided to have the baby. He ultimately demanded that she leave and take the baby with her.
Thanks to Land's willingness to work hard at a low-paying job as a maid, she and her little girl survived a cycle of ongoing sadness, fear, stress, illness, financial exploitation, betrayal, abuse, and other trials and misfortunes. This book came to be through the author's desire to record her story of desperation and obstacles as a poor single mother in the representation of-- giving voice to-- thousands of others on the same treadmill of poverty. She meticulously details the bureaucracy and bigotry that attempts to keep her stuck as a victim. Happily, she also shares the edifying kindnesses and encouragement of people who helped to counter some of her rougher experiences, and who she looks to as guides in her journey towards a dream of a better life for her and her child.
If you saw a series of the same name and theme on Netflix, you have seen a slightly different set of stories with many different characters. The movie series was popular with viewers. The book provides more details of the six years of struggle for survival for Stephanie and her child. I enjoyed both the movie series and the book. The Kirkus Review (back cover of the book) states that this book by Lands is ''An important memoir that should be required reading for anyone who has never struggled with poverty.'' I would add that this book will likely remind those of us who have known poverty as a young adult and or single parents, how much we have to be grateful for if we have moved beyond that status.
Stephanie Land, the author, gives an excellent introduction to her book in this video:
View all my reviews on Goodreads.
