eileenseitz's review against another edition
3.0
An important perspective on the effects of poverty and single parents - but was difficult for me to get through due to the writing style.
sunscour's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent read. Very factual, frustrating and depressing. I learned how isolated people feel when you are just grinding everyday, something I had never considered.
joannajohnson's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
samwierman's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
bellahtrix's review against another edition
Land showed no real insight into her situation and only blamed others for her problems. Book lacked any real valuable commentary on income inequality on America and instead was just complaints and judgments about the people who owned the houses she cleaned.
danicapage's review against another edition
4.0
Warnings: strong language
This book has been in my list since it came out. So I’m glad I finally got to read it. For what it’s worth, I haven’t watched the Netflix show. So can’t compare to that.
What an emotional read about poverty, “getting by”, domestic violence, single motherhood, and a lot of hard work without getting ahead.
This book has been in my list since it came out. So I’m glad I finally got to read it. For what it’s worth, I haven’t watched the Netflix show. So can’t compare to that.
What an emotional read about poverty, “getting by”, domestic violence, single motherhood, and a lot of hard work without getting ahead.
haleynicole13's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Stephanie really unveils the hardcore truth, America keeps people in poverty below the line. Her story is inspiring as a single mother, who against all odds came out of an abusive relationship and made a life for her and her daughter. This is no life that is romanticized, but showing the harsh realty that Stephanie, and millions of other American's face.
deathcabforkatey's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really enjoyed Land's heartbreaking and honest look at the poverty and hard work she had to endure in her life as a Maid following domestic abuse and feeling abandoned by her family. Land's writing pulls you in, however her narrative is a bit disjointed at parts. Furthermore, this book is advertised as a book about being a domestic house cleaner, however it is more a memoir about her life as a single mom, struggling to survive, while working as a part-time maid. Incidentally, last night at my part-time hostessing summer job I was discussing with one of the workers about how her mother-in-law is a Maid. She told me how hard the work was on her body, and that she experienced pain from it. Her immigrant family struggles, but she says her mother-in-law is grateful for the work. I didn't tell her I was reading this book, because it felt wrong to say that I was reading about her mother-in-laws life as entertainment. But after reading this book, I feel like I could tell her "I see her. I see her struggle."
Land revealed to me a lot of the struggle to receive welfare, which I knew existed but had never really thought about that much. The struggle of making too much money to not receive medicaid, and also feeling pressure to make more money to pull yourself out of poverty. The health hazards of being poor are well-known, but her discussion of the black mold situation sat like a heavy stone in my heart. Again, to feel the weight of being a mother to a child in a situation you have little control over. And then being shamed by doctors, child care professionals, and your ex-husband. I really empathized with her situation.
I am disheartened by a lot of the reviews on Goodreads, where people show a complete lack of empathy for her position. Including statements that she shouldn't expect to make a living wage working as a maid, being a single mother, and trying to better herself while schooling. As someone who was NOT a single mom, but worked full-time as a college student, I can tell you that it was hard enough taking care of myself physically and emotionally with that much stress - let alone had I had a toddler to care for and an abusive ex-husband. How do we expect these women to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" when we want to stigmatize them for doing everything they can?
To those who chided her for treating herself to small things, such as a $200 ring when she received a $4000 tax refund, I again am shaking my head. We judge single parents, ESPECIALLY single mothers so harshly for taking care of themselves in any way. I wonder how many of us would survive if we had not bought ourselves something nice in 4 years. She writes about the stigma of being a poor single mother and yet it seems that this message flew over the heads of some of these reviewers on here.
I can't imagine living the life she lived for so long. I am happy that she is doing better, and hope that her writing this book brought a healing to her heart.
Read if you like: memoir non-fiction, revealing the life of "the other side."
Land revealed to me a lot of the struggle to receive welfare, which I knew existed but had never really thought about that much. The struggle of making too much money to not receive medicaid, and also feeling pressure to make more money to pull yourself out of poverty. The health hazards of being poor are well-known, but her discussion of the black mold situation sat like a heavy stone in my heart. Again, to feel the weight of being a mother to a child in a situation you have little control over. And then being shamed by doctors, child care professionals, and your ex-husband. I really empathized with her situation.
I am disheartened by a lot of the reviews on Goodreads, where people show a complete lack of empathy for her position. Including statements that she shouldn't expect to make a living wage working as a maid, being a single mother, and trying to better herself while schooling. As someone who was NOT a single mom, but worked full-time as a college student, I can tell you that it was hard enough taking care of myself physically and emotionally with that much stress - let alone had I had a toddler to care for and an abusive ex-husband. How do we expect these women to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" when we want to stigmatize them for doing everything they can?
To those who chided her for treating herself to small things, such as a $200 ring when she received a $4000 tax refund, I again am shaking my head. We judge single parents, ESPECIALLY single mothers so harshly for taking care of themselves in any way. I wonder how many of us would survive if we had not bought ourselves something nice in 4 years. She writes about the stigma of being a poor single mother and yet it seems that this message flew over the heads of some of these reviewers on here.
I can't imagine living the life she lived for so long. I am happy that she is doing better, and hope that her writing this book brought a healing to her heart.
Read if you like: memoir non-fiction, revealing the life of "the other side."