Book Review: Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and A Mother's Will To Survive, by Stephanie Land
Why you should read this: To learn empathy, to see the extreme struggle that some people face in trying to support themselves and their children without "abusing the system" because they are truly hardworking, determined people. Stephanie Land is an inspiration and I love how honest she is in the book. It's also very informative about how the government assistance program can both be a help and a hindrance.
An absolute must read- this is a memoir and also a testament to the heart and soul inside millions of mothers, parents and citizen all around the world who work hard every day, not only to live a life that means something, but also just to survive every single day. Land's step by step accounts of how she navigated crippling poverty while also trying to raise a daughter and earn an education is eye opening, humbling and inspiring.
This is a very smooth story, Land is very honest and forth coming and her recollections are relatable. Some memoirs can be dense with details, but I think Land does a great job of recounting meaningful vignettes of her story while also explaining how modern society effects the ways we live our lives (or in her case cannot secure a normal life).
From Goodreads: While the gap between upper middle-class Americans and the working poor widens, grueling low-wage domestic and service work--primarily done by women--fuels the economic success of the wealthy. Stephanie Land worked for years as a maid, pulling long hours while struggling as a single mom to keep a roof over her daughter's head. In Maid, she reveals the dark truth of what it takes to survive and thrive in today's inequitable society.
While she worked hard to scratch her way out of poverty as a single parent, scrubbing the toilets of the wealthy, navigating domestic labor jobs, higher education, assisted housing, and a tangled web of government assistance, Stephanie wrote. She wrote the true stories that weren't being told. The stories of overworked and underpaid Americans.
Her compassionate view and unflinchingly honest journalistic writing style gives voice to the "working class" like you've never seen, telling a story that has likely rarely been told. There are millions of people who are pursuing an ideal life for themselves-whatever that may look like- and this book is their anthem. It is an inspiring testament to the strength, determination, and ultimate triumph of the human spirit.
It's a fast read and a very important one at that.
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