A review by nevertheless_she_reads
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I just finished Maid, a memoir by Stephanie Land, and WOW did it open my eyes 👀
Stephanie, a single mom, with no family to turn to or trust, shares her story of living paycheck-to-paycheck to just get by in a world that repeatedly stomps on poor people.
Have you ever heard anyone criticize a welfare recipient for "taking advantage of the system", or "taking government handouts" or "not contributing to society" or wait, this one makes me extra-cringey, "using my tax money for their benefit "??? Truth is, people say and think these critical things all the time.
Maid is an honest reminder that statements like those are problematic, also wildly unhelpful and unsupportive. And Stephanie Land is an honest writer in telling us why. As someone who has worked her ass off in a low-paying profession, Stephanie tells her stories of how trying to feed her daughter Mia a healthy, well-balanced diet using food stamps and WIC benefits was virtually impossible. They relied on Medicaid to help treat her daughter's health concerns. But her health concerns were exacerbated by the black mold lurking in their apartment, which was the only affordable living option Stephanie could find. Never mind that the doctors all told her how illegal it was of her landlord to allow those living conditions to exist. Stephanie couldn't afford to take legal action, and she couldn't afford to move out. She could never afford {fill in the blank} or {fill in another blank, and another...}. Alternately, if she got too good at her minimum-wage-paying job, and therefore took on more work, cleaning more client's homes, then she made too much money and didn't qualify for hundreds of dollars of government assistance that they needed to survive. She also had to consider the costs of childcare in taking on work. It's a vicious cycle Stephanie and Mia fought with, and lived through for years.
Their story enhanced my perspective, and gave me cause to reflect...
I appreciated how Stephanie recognized that as a white woman seeking government assistance, her opportunities were drastically different than those of her black, brown and disabled neighbors who were also seeking assistance.
And I loved how much she shared about motherhood. How her desire to protect and love her little girl shone through with the sacrifices she made.
This book gets all the stars from me. I can't wait to watch the series on Netflix that is based on Stephanie's book!
I recommend listening to this while doing your least favorite chores and silently repeating to yourself, "I am grateful for all these clothes we have." "I am grateful for the food that sat on these dishes." "I am grateful for running water, for my electricity, and for my heat." Because too many people don't have those luxuries.
Stephanie, a single mom, with no family to turn to or trust, shares her story of living paycheck-to-paycheck to just get by in a world that repeatedly stomps on poor people.
Have you ever heard anyone criticize a welfare recipient for "taking advantage of the system", or "taking government handouts" or "not contributing to society" or wait, this one makes me extra-cringey, "using my tax money for their benefit "??? Truth is, people say and think these critical things all the time.
Maid is an honest reminder that statements like those are problematic, also wildly unhelpful and unsupportive. And Stephanie Land is an honest writer in telling us why. As someone who has worked her ass off in a low-paying profession, Stephanie tells her stories of how trying to feed her daughter Mia a healthy, well-balanced diet using food stamps and WIC benefits was virtually impossible. They relied on Medicaid to help treat her daughter's health concerns. But her health concerns were exacerbated by the black mold lurking in their apartment, which was the only affordable living option Stephanie could find. Never mind that the doctors all told her how illegal it was of her landlord to allow those living conditions to exist. Stephanie couldn't afford to take legal action, and she couldn't afford to move out. She could never afford {fill in the blank} or {fill in another blank, and another...}. Alternately, if she got too good at her minimum-wage-paying job, and therefore took on more work, cleaning more client's homes, then she made too much money and didn't qualify for hundreds of dollars of government assistance that they needed to survive. She also had to consider the costs of childcare in taking on work. It's a vicious cycle Stephanie and Mia fought with, and lived through for years.
Their story enhanced my perspective, and gave me cause to reflect...
I appreciated how Stephanie recognized that as a white woman seeking government assistance, her opportunities were drastically different than those of her black, brown and disabled neighbors who were also seeking assistance.
And I loved how much she shared about motherhood. How her desire to protect and love her little girl shone through with the sacrifices she made.
This book gets all the stars from me. I can't wait to watch the series on Netflix that is based on Stephanie's book!
I recommend listening to this while doing your least favorite chores and silently repeating to yourself, "I am grateful for all these clothes we have." "I am grateful for the food that sat on these dishes." "I am grateful for running water, for my electricity, and for my heat." Because too many people don't have those luxuries.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders