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roanfrancis's review against another edition
4.0
This was an engaging, very personal memoir about (temporary, in this case) poverty. Stephanie Land writes vividly about the incredible frustration of trying to function and raise a kid in a system designed to malign and oppress poor people, and many personal anecdotes illustrate some of the many ways this system functions in practice - labyrinthine bureaucracy, social stigma, capitalism, punitive “helpers” etc. A lot of the reviews on goodreads exemplify the kinds of attitudes about poor people that Land describes in this book - blaming people for their “bad” (human) decisions, for not working harder, for indulging in an occasional leisure activity or luxury, for making impossible choices among the many sets of bad choices available. (i.e. leaving her child in a shitty daycare because it’s the only one that takes her childcare grant. Living in a moldy apartment that makes them both sick because she can’t afford anywhere else.) Poor people aren’t allowed to be human beings in the dominant narrative - to make mistakes, to have feelings, to get tired, to struggle with mental health, to rest, to crave or seek comfort, etc.
Another important thread in this book is to do with loneliness, isolation, and abuse - a lack of human connection that has a mutually exacerbating relationship with (but is not the same as) poverty. The support she receives from family and boyfriends is grudging, if offered at all. Often what she craves (and is usually denied) even more than material support is emotional support and care - my heart ached in those moments when she yearned for some crumbs of connection, sympathy, comfort from people who treated her badly. The grinding demands on her time, as well as shame about her poverty, also keep her isolated from building new community. I also felt sad for her yearning for a nuclear family and the lack of models or any sense of possibility for any other kind of supportive and loving community. (For Land, and in general.)
There isn’t a lot of broader reflection/context/research about systemic poverty, though I’m not sure there needs to be in a book like this. I would have liked her to reflect more on the role her and her daughter’s whiteness plays in her eventually getting *out* of poverty.
Overall, this was a good book that is probably best read alongside books with broader political context and more politicized memoirs like Criminal of Poverty.
Another important thread in this book is to do with loneliness, isolation, and abuse - a lack of human connection that has a mutually exacerbating relationship with (but is not the same as) poverty. The support she receives from family and boyfriends is grudging, if offered at all. Often what she craves (and is usually denied) even more than material support is emotional support and care - my heart ached in those moments when she yearned for some crumbs of connection, sympathy, comfort from people who treated her badly. The grinding demands on her time, as well as shame about her poverty, also keep her isolated from building new community. I also felt sad for her yearning for a nuclear family and the lack of models or any sense of possibility for any other kind of supportive and loving community. (For Land, and in general.)
There isn’t a lot of broader reflection/context/research about systemic poverty, though I’m not sure there needs to be in a book like this. I would have liked her to reflect more on the role her and her daughter’s whiteness plays in her eventually getting *out* of poverty.
Overall, this was a good book that is probably best read alongside books with broader political context and more politicized memoirs like Criminal of Poverty.
mgierosky's review against another edition
5.0
This was an awesome insight into life in poverty in the US and the various welfare systems available to those in need.
evaribaker's review
3.0
The writing was just fine. I think when you put yourself and your life out on the page you invite criticism around the choices that led to the outcomes you describe, which is somewhat inevitable though I tried very hard to resist doing so. This led to some head scratching for me, but ultimately didn’t impact my impression of the book. My biggest takeaway is that, compared to the book Evicted, it is not as good or, ultimately, as heart-wrenching, though it is possible that’s due to the fact that the author, at this point, is reflecting on her life in poverty from the other side, and in Evicted the subjects are largely still engaged in the struggle.
graceee_elizabeth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
kateylew2's review against another edition
3.0
Very interesting and eye opening but different from the show
llebpmacking's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
keista_skaitytoja's review against another edition
2.0
Nepatiko. Nervino. Ir nors suprantu, kaip sunku išgyventi uždirbant mažai, ir galiu tik įsivaizduoti, kad dar sunkiau auginant vienai mažą vaiką, bet na pagrindinės veikėjos nusiteikimas ir skundimasis visą knygą, tikrai labai nervino. Ir šiaip, jos visos tos mintys apie klientus, jų net nepažįstant, o tik sprendžiant iš namų, kaip ji juos “teisė”… kai norėtųsi, kad knyga būtų labiau pozytivesnė ir parodytų, kad bet kurioje situacijoje gali įžvelgti naudos ar gėrio, ši knyga buvo pilna vien negatyvo…aišku, šaunuolė, kad nors ir burbant, bet visko nemetė ir stengėsi, kažkaip prasisukti, kad tik viskas gerai būtų jos dukrelei. Bet serialas buvo žymiai labiau vertas dėmesio, nei knyga.
fsleineweber's review against another edition
4.0
A testament to the power of both the hard work needed to get through the day to day struggles and the ongoing need to have a dream that will help you rise above your present circumstances. In addition to grit and determination, the author highlights that education is one of the most powerful tools someone can have. It leaves me wondering though, what is the best way someone can help?