Reviews with content warning for Medical content - Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive

I actually watched the TV show first so everything was so exaggerated in there, this book was less dramatic. But it was still a harrowing, interesting story that we should all look at and take note of. This is a person that suffered greatly, even with white privilege. Imagine those that have stories even worse with no support and ability to tell their story. I’m grateful for this book so I can keep that in mind and look out for my community. I hope those that are living in their own bubble will take a chance, read this book, and see how much we need to come together and look out for each other. An important read.

Content Warnings

lynn_x5452's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Content Warnings

mysterymom46's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

2.75

Content Warnings

charley0796's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

I devoured this book in 24 hours. I have wanted to read this book since watching the Netflix series. Being a therapist who often sees survivors of Domestic Violence I really liked how the series explored the honest realities of fleeing DV, custody battles and I also loved the stories of her houses as she battled to make a better life for her family.
The book is similar but different, both highlight the battles of the system, the hoops that have to be jumped through. In differences - one it starts when she moves to transitional housing, so you do not see the initial abuse or difficulties navigating the system. Second, it highlights the hoops she has to jump through and the cycle of poverty she can’t break free from that I had never considered before. As a third difference, it’s more raw, not romanticised or dramatised - Stephanie makes a lot of really valid and understandable decisions. She moves in with a boyfriend who turns out to exploit her financially, cycles of abuse that are actually really common in abuse even with support and education around breaking the cycle. She then is determined to stay single and manage on her own, using men just for keeping off the loneliness, something I know one single parent with very similar circumstances is doing at the moment. Choosing to go on holiday rather than moving home, this I can also understand, after what had been years with no break and living on a shoestring it makes sense that she bought items for herself. I appreciate her including this - she could have hidden it! It’s different to what I think I might do, but I’ve never been in her shoes. I’ve read lots of reviews, especially on goodreads, criticising her as a ‘whiny, privileged woman’ and people being shocked that at 28 she had no savings or career. She described working in a tourist town, where jobs centred around this - thus there are few jobs you can make a career out of. In addition, it sounds like her upbringing was pretty unsupportive and also in poverty - meaning career planning may not have been instilled on her (the tv show really exemplified this) as does the fact they lived in a trailer initially. She was on birth control - naturally a conversation about pregnancy hadn’t happened with her partner as they weren’t planning on staying together, she was heading to college to make a career for her future. I can totally understand the decision not to abort, even though her life wasn’t stable and she didn’t have things together at her age. Some people are late bloomers and it takes time to work out that college/uni is a good idea and worth it for you. Something that must be hard when your mum is the only person with a degree that she knows of and everyone else seems to have struggled with pay check to pay check living and the financial crash.

I’d love to read more books of a similar style, most autobiographies I’ve read have focused on the pain and suffering with no commentaries on the social systems and how it relates to their situation. Most detailing abuse from childhood and not starting in adulthood, so the writing style seemed much more reflective than venting.

I look forward to reading some of the review suggestions

Content Warnings

basicbookstagrammer's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Content Warnings

More...