MAID: HARD WORK, LOW PAY, AND A MOTHER’S WILL TO SURVIVE
By Stephanie Land
This is one book that I’ve grappled with in trying to write a review. There are a few conflicting impressions that I’ve turned over in my mind, causing me to question why I feel as I do about the story. I thought about just giving a glossed-over review, focusing only on what I appreciated (and there was a lot to appreciate) about this account of a young, single mother’s struggle to survive and raise her child. I wanted to be generous, but I finally decided to just write the review to include what bothered me, and if that reflects negatively on me, then so be it.
The title of the book, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive is apt, as Stephanie Land describes how truly hard she worked for very low wages to give herself and her young daughter a place to call home, and yes – to simply survive. Her determination and grit (no pun intended) are evident. She did whatever it took to provide a roof, food, and basic needs for her family of two. She fielded issues with multiple government welfare and assistance programs, and dealt with anger and abusiveness from a former partner, the father of her daughter, Mia. She worked long hours for very little pay and labored with physically demanding jobs cleaning the homes of clients and doing occasional landscape work when she could get it. She struggled with day care and doctor situations when her child was sick, and lost wages during those times when she couldn’t make it to work. All in all, her situation was bleak and disheartening and terribly hard in every sense of the word. And she toiled through it to finish college and to write her story, and major kudos to her for doing so.
Overall, the book is well-written, although there were several instances throughout when the flow just didn’t quite work. It was difficult to understand exactly what caused some of her problems to begin with; there was confusing and incomplete background information. We learn that her mother lives in Europe and that the author and her father don’t really connect. There’s a brother out there somewhere, but we know next to nothing about him or why he can’t help her in some way. It’s possible there are reasons that information was left private, but stating that, at least, would have been helpful and less confusing to the reader. Also baffling was the ongoing message that there were never enough hours, that work and school and taking care of Mia were exhausting. And then out of the blue, with no explanation, she mentions that she’s been dating a few people. Where did that come from? I mean, good for her, but when? How? What??
I felt much empathy for Stephanie through the description of her money and job worries. I’ve been there, and my heart ached for the times she felt so helpless and hopeless. The love and care she gave to her daughter also resonated with me; it’s obvious that Mia was always first and foremost in her concerns.
The thing that truly bothered me about her story is kind of double-edged. I think she was being very honest about her actions, and for that, I applaud her. But the descriptions of her “snooping” (her word) through a client’s home made me so sad. Reading pill bottles, receipts for payments, looking through books and sorting through mail on a table, repeatedly trying on a sweater in someone’s closet – all of these were upsetting to me. But the most egregious to me was her opening the jars and looking at the ashes of loved ones, on more than one occasion. I also took exception to her basically gossiping to the reader about her clients, passing judgment on them just as others had passed judgment on her. I know her life was beyond difficult and she had been looked down upon and treated miserably. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that others deserved respect from her, as well, and I’m sad that she did these things and shared them in her story.
Again, I applaud Ms. Land for her hard work, determination and for telling her story. I just can’t give this more than 3 stars based on my concerns for some of the things missing in her story, and for some of the things I wish she hadn’t shared.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Reviewed January 2019
House of Black and Blue 