A review by nebraskanwriter
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Maid is a memoir by Stephanie Land about her time as a single mom and living on welfare. Because times are tough, Stephanie starts working as a maid. She writes of how she gave each house a name, as each house has a personality as big as its owners do. She writes about taking care of her little girl, Mia, as well as the ups and downs of dealing with her ex and her extended family. She enrolls in school online to major in English and does so to get herself and Mia on their feet again.
With 15% of the US population receiving food stamps and 35% of the US population receiving some kind of government assistance, that period of Stephanie’s life is a life that many Americans are still living in.
This was a touching, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking tale of the flaws of America’s welfare system, the stigma that comes with being a part of that system and the personal hurtles that Land had to overcome both personally and financially.
With 15% of the US population receiving food stamps and 35% of the US population receiving some kind of government assistance, that period of Stephanie’s life is a life that many Americans are still living in.
This was a touching, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking tale of the flaws of America’s welfare system, the stigma that comes with being a part of that system and the personal hurtles that Land had to overcome both personally and financially.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship