This was gut-wrenchingly close to home. I lived below the poverty line myself for several years while raising a child solo, and there were moments of real empathy I had with Stephanie's journey and her hopes for her future amidst struggle alongside her wishes for her daughter's well-being.

All of that said, I found myself frustrated a number of times. I am in no way advocating for overworking (it shouldn't be necessary to make a life for yourself), but 25 hours a week felt... odd. I probably worked 60 to 75 a week for four years straight. Again, I am not recommending it, nor am I saying that should be anyone's solution, but how does anyone in those circumstances think that 25 hours is enough? Or that private school is even an option? Additionally, the perspectives she offers into the upper-middle class clients she works for, while searing and worth acknowledging, were at times pretty strange. Clients should absolutely treat their cleaners with humanity and respect, but what was she thinking trying on their clothes? Going through deeply personal items? Anyone in such a position of difficulty (that I know of) would never have risked getting fired over such a thing. I truly felt for Stephanie's story, but moments like that gave me pause.

Poverty SUCKS. Single motherhood is HARD. I appreciated that the genuine logistical struggles of applying for aid or trying to receive any manner of government support or assistance were included in this book, but there are other incredibly thoroughly researched books that take a closer look at those issues. I also think the reflective moments regarding her childhood and who she was hoping to become as a mother were important, but there were moments throughout where it really did feel like a privileged person making consistently poor decisions could only see her victimhood instead of her opportunities.

This book details the real stories of the invisible among us. Those who serve us, are overworked and underpaid.
It gives a new perspective on the working class and how under appreciated they are.

Maid by Stephanie Land is an enjoyable and fascinating look at the rags to riches story.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was fascinating but I didn't love it - just a bit too much for me, somehow. Haven't decided yet whether or not to watch the show.

Enjoyable and fascinating, a great real life rags to riches style story. I really liked hearing about how she embraced her challenges and worked hard to get a decent life for herself and her child.

There are some books, when you finish reading them, you realize that you have just experienced something profoundly important. MAID is one of these rare gems.

Stephanie Land tells the story of her life as an impoverished single mother. This is NOT a story that takes place during the Great Depression of the 1930s, it is a true story taking place in modern day America.

What struck me most about this memoir was Stephanie's ability to tell the story in a matter of fact way and to somehow detach herself from the emotions she must have inevitably felt while writing - all the while ensuring that she conveyed those same feelings to the reader. This ability proves Stephanie Land is a rare talent. If I did not know better, I would have thought this was the author's fifth or sixth published work and not her debut book.

This is NOT a tale of 'poor me.' Stephanie does not whine about the state of her finances or the shabby conditions she lived in. She may have been poor, but she was not just sitting around collecting welfare and living the high life, which is a stereotype that is pervasive throughout society.

Reading this book will open people's eyes to a situation all too common in America today. That is the plight of the "working poor."

I have heard many people say that those who are receiving government assistance are all lazy and are living the high life thanks to the government. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Yes, I am sure that some people are gaming the system, but the vast majority are people who need a hand up, not a hand out. They are working, but their income is insufficient to pay their bills.

This book should be required reading for everyone who has ever made a comment about people on welfare. It should definitely be required reading for politicians at all levels of government from municipal leaders all the way up to the President. Maybe, just maybe, this would open their eyes to the reality of the lives of many of their constituents.

MAID is written in such a way that it is a book you will not want to put down. Just because it is a true story does not make it a boring read. In fact, it is anything but.

Stephanie's dream of becoming a writer has come true and the world is better off because of it.

I rate MAID as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you only read one non-fiction memoir this year, make sure it is this one. You will not be disappointed.

I'm clearing out books that I requested ages ago and have been on sale for years! I really enjoyed this title.

I appreciate any book that's going to give me insight into another person's life and make me grateful for my own. Land tells the story of her own journey as a single mother living in poverty, working as a maid to make ends meet. I acknowledge the critics of this book who cite certain privileges Land experienced (largely due to the fact that she was not living in poverty her entire life like some people), but I want to honor Land's commitment to being truthful. She talks honestly about all of the decisions she made (even if they weren't always the best ones). I also felt a connection to this book because it was set in Port Townsend (where I attended graduate school). The familiarity of the setting only added to my appreciation for the book. I would have loved an afterword to describe where Land is now and how she's doing. But after her struggle, I hope she's appreciating the success and comfort that everyone deserves to experience.

My mother cleaned houses for most of my childhood. I remember always being mildly ashamed of this. Those houses allowed my mom to share the burden of supporting our family with my dad. Cleaning toilets and vacuuming lines into the carpets of others paid for a Catholic school education for me. When my mother wanted to knock sense into me about the importance of staying the course and working hard in school, she made me clean houses with her. As an adult, I've had to do my share of hard, menial jobs. Perhaps this is why this book by Stephanie Land kept me engaged from start to finish and really resonated with me. Beautifully written, Land takes us on a journey. I quickly became invested in her success, concerned for her during tough times. I admired the humility she showed in doing essentially whatever was needed to support Mia. There is no room for pride in the life of a single mother. I applaud her journey and I applaud this book. I'm grateful to have had a chance to read an advance copy.

This book shines a light on the dirt of of barely surviving in poverty.

After all, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps only works if you have bootstraps to begin with. Or boots.

It'll make you angry, or it should. Stephanie describes the hours and hours of work she did as a maid to barely be able to afford a 300 square foot studio apartment where she lived with her toddler daughter. This isn't some tale of days gone by either. The story spans from 2008 to 2012, a time when I was graduating high school and entering college and had NO CLUE how much privilege I benefited from because I had generations of mentally and financially stable people in my family tree.

At one time Stephanie received seven forms of government assistance and was still barely able to survive. Often she went without meals because the 200 dollars in SNAP benefits was all she had for food for the month for her and her daughter. And if her income went too high with, she could lose her childcare benefits that allowed her to work in the first place.

Stephanie's book presents a portrait of someone who was anything but lazy, who survived abuse and tried to make a way on her own. With almost no family support and limited support from the father of her daughter, Stephanie had no one else to lean on and encountered judgement from nearly everyone.

This is not a feel good story of how anyone can get out of poverty by following Stephanie's path. This is not a story of how hard work can save you. That's not what saved Stephanie. If you want to find out how someone who works harder than any person should have to can't afford to live in a home without black mold, read this book. If you want to discover how Stephanie pulled herself up without any bootstraps to speak of, read this book. If you want to see those in poverty as human, read this book.

PROS:
- I enjoyed getting a glimpse into a life that is different from my own and getting a perspective that was different from my own.

CONS:
- I did not always agree with the author's decisions or explanations/rationale for why she made some of the choices she did; however, I cannot fault a book for a true account for an individual's life experiences and how they handle those.

- I do not feel as though there were many "take aways" for me after reading this book- not many new insights or lessons learned... but was that the author's purpose for writing this? Not sure...

I read this awhile ago and forgot to post the review😬.
This book follows the struggles of a young, single mother trying to eek out a living, while trying to also go to school. All she is qualified for are low paying jobs. She starts working for a cleaning company but never is able to really make ends meet.

I enjoyed this book. It made me very thankful for what I have and not having to struggle. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

I loved this book. I love how real and relatable Stephanie is. I have been a housecleaner for 20 years and can relate to her stories. She kept this interesting and touched on many issues that many Americans struggle with. I can't wait to read more from her.

#NonFiction #SingleMom #maid #StephanieLand #Library #Bookshelf #Bookreview #Booklover #booksofinstagram #Read #Books #ARC #NetGalley

interesting and highly recommended memoir/sociological study - recommended reading - Stephanie Land shares her story and other real stories of overworked and underpaid American workers.

A good story, but written in such a way that you can tell Land started as a blogger. So many of the chapters lack continuity, it would have been better as a collection of essays. An unfortunate waste of material and talent.

I do not know if i liked or hated this book. The author was a bit over-bearing, but some of her issues I could understand. I think that is about the best I can say at this point. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest thoughts.

Sometimes I find it hard to assign a star rating to memoirs, but I found this well-written memoir very easy to get into. Stephanie shared her journey into independence, single-motherhood and her relentless battle with poverty in a raw, yet touching way. I was engrossed in her story, and so proud of her outcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this memoir of a single mother trying her best to raise her daughter. Her struggle is one that many face, and I recognized some of the situations from just being a family who didn't have a lot of money. I commend her commitment to doing what was best for her and her daughter, but I could have done with less of her complaints about her family - it wasn't a huge part of the book, but enough that I thought she could have just said that she did not have a good or healthy relationship with them. It didn't really add much to it for me. I did enjoy her descriptions of the houses she cleaned and the relationships she forged with her "people." If you have never had to depend on assistance, this is a good start to seeing parts of the problem. Kudos to Stephanie for working hard to do what she needed for her daughter.

I have worked as a case manager in a homeless shelter and now with the county assisting people with eviction prevention and housing. This book opened my eyes to the clients perspective, that the client isn't feeling "lucky" and they are not happy to be in this situation. I know reading reviews about this book that people were upset with the author's choices such as buying a ring with her tax return, this really didn't bother me. I figured the author wouldn't be in her predicament if she made good choices so the ring purchase was just another one. Overall great read and I hope her book inspires others.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I liked the vivid accounts of what it was like to live in poverty. I think too few people understand that someone can be very hard working and do everything possible and still be poor. We judge people who are poor as bad people who make poor decisions when it's actually just luck and circumstances much of the time.

The thing that bothered me about the account is that she does see herself as different than the regular poor and cannot believe that she is one of those people. And the book and the way it's marketed has that quality as well. It's sort of like poverty porn, which I think is a new weird genre. voyeurism by the middle class into the lives of the down and out. Better if it's "one of us" who can come back and tell us about it. Stephanie is white, pretty, and a good writer. She is not the vision of a poor person. So this book is a good memoir of one life, but there is no class or race consciousness here. In fact, it may actually hurt the cause a bit.