Maid : hard work, low pay, and a mother's will to survive

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Title:

Maid : hard work, low pay, and a mother's will to survive

Author:

Land, Stephanie, 1978- author.

Ehrenreich, Barbara, writer of foreword.

Summary:

Land's plans of breaking free from the roots of her hometown in the Pacific Northwest to chase her dreams were cut short when a summer fling turned into an unexpected pregnancy. She turned to housekeeping to make ends meet, took classes online to earn a college degree. And she wrote relentlessly: true stories of overworked and underpaid Americans; of living on food stamps and WIC coupons. Here she explores the underbelly of upper-middle class America and the reality of what it's like to be in service to them. -- Adapted from jacket.

Edition:

Large print edition.

Contents:

The cabin -- The camper -- Transitional housing -- The Fairgrounds apartment -- Seven different kinds of government assistance -- The farm -- The last job on earth -- The porn house -- The move-out clean -- Henry's house -- The studio -- Minimalist -- Wendy's house -- The plant house -- The chef's house -- Donna's house -- In three years -- The sad house -- Lori's house -- "I don't know how you do it" -- The clown house -- Still life with Mia -- Do better -- The bay house -- The hardest worker -- The hoarder house -- We're home.

Physical Description:

441 pages : 23 cm.

Genre:

Autobiographies.

Large type books.

Personal Subject:

Land, Stephanie.

Subject Term:

Women household employees -- Biography.

Working class -- Biography.

Single mothers -- Biography.

Working poor -- Biography.

Author(s):

Ehrenreich, Barbara,

Publisher:

Thorndike Press,

Publication Date:

2019

ISBN:

9781432858926

Publication Information:

Waterville, Maine : Thorndike Press, [2019]

Call Number:

LP 920.5 LAND

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003402362	Large Print Nonfiction	920.5 LAND	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

At 28, Stephanie Land's dreams of breaking free from her Pacific Northwest hometown to attend university and become a writer were put on hold by an unexpected pregnancy. Turning to housekeeping to make ends meet and provide for her daughter, Stephanie worked days and took classes online to earn a college degree, and began to write relentlessly. She wrote the true stories that no one told: those of the overworked and underpaid. Maid is Stephanie's story, but it's not hers alone. It is an inspiring testament to the strength, determination, and ultimate triumph of the human spirit.

Author Notes

Journalist Stephanie Land's work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Vox, Salon, and many other outlets. She focuses on social and economic justice as a writing fellow through both the Center for Community Change and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project. Her title's include Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive and A Confident Parent: A Pediatrician's Guide to Caring for Your Little One --Without Losing Your Joy, Your Mind, or Yourself.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In her heartfelt and powerful debut memoir, Land describes the struggles she faced as a young single mother living in poverty. "My daughter learned to walk in a homeless shelter," she writes, before chronicling her difficult circumstances. Land got pregnant at 28, then left an abusive relationship and went on to raise her daughter, Mia, while working as a part-time house cleaner in Skagit Valley, Wash. Later, using public assistance, Land moved to a moldy studio apartment and got her daughter into daycare. While housecleaning, Land imagines the lives of the clients, whom she knows intimately through their habits and possessions (their apparent unhappiness despite financial comfort fosters compassion as well as gratitude for her own modest space), and experiences the humiliating stigma of being poor in America ("You're welcome!" a stranger snarls at the checkout as she pays with food stamps). Even while working, Land continued to follow her dream of becoming a writer. She began a journal and took online classes, and eventually attended the University of Montana in Missoula. Land's love for her daughter ("We were each other's moon and sun") shines brightly through the pages of this beautiful, uplifting story of resilience and survival. Agent: Jeff Kleinman, Folio Literary. (Jan.) c Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

Land's memoir describes the disappointment and hard luck of a single mother with a young daughter. Without a supportive family, Land took care of herself and her daughter by working as a housekeeper and occasional landscaper. She supplemented her earnings with government programs such as housing assistance, food stamps, WIC (Women, Infants and Children), and Medicaid for her child. She dreamed of earning a college degree from the University of Montana and becoming a writer, and though she took online courses in her limited free time, Land was discouraged by how long it would take to achieve her goal. After encouragement from an associate and a housekeeping client, Land finally moved toward a better future in Missoula. The author narrates her own story flawlessly. Verdict Recommended to listeners with an interest in contemporary working conditions and those who enjoyed Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed. ["An illuminating read that should inspire outrage, hope, and change": LJ 12/18 review of the Hachette hc.]-Ann Weber, Los Gatos, CA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.