Maid hard work, low pay, and a mother's will to survive
At 28, Stephanie Land's plans of breaking free from the roots of her hometown in the Pacific Northwest to chase her dreams of attending a university and becoming a writer, were cut short when a summer fling turned into an unplanned pregnancy. She turned to housekeeping to make ends meet, and wi...
| Main Author: | Land, Stephanie, 1978- (Author) |
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| Other Authors: | Ehrenreich, Barbara (writer of foreword.) |
| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Hachette Books,
2019.
|
| Edition: | First edition. |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: |
At 28, Stephanie Land's plans of breaking free from the roots of her hometown in the Pacific Northwest to chase her dreams of attending a university and becoming a writer, were cut short when a summer fling turned into an unplanned pregnancy. She turned to housekeeping to make ends meet, and with a tenacious grip on her dream to provide her daughter the very best life possible, Stephanie worked days and took classes online to earn a college degree, and began to write relentlessly. She wrote the true stories that weren't being told: the stories of overworked and underpaid Americans. Of living on food stamps and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) coupons to eat. Of the government programs that provided her housing, but that doubled as halfway houses. The aloof government employees who called her lucky for receiving assistance while she didn't feel lucky at all. She wrote to remember the fight, to eventually cut through the deep-rooted stigmas of the working poor. Maid explores the secret underbelly of upper middle class Americans and the reality of what it's like to be in service to them. "I'd become a nameless ghost," Stephanie writers about her relationship with her clients, many of whom do not know her from any other cleaner, but who she learns plenty about. As she begins to discover more about her clients' lives - their sadness and love, too - she begins to find hope in her own path. Her compassionate, unflinching writing as a journalist gives voice to the "servant" worker, and those pursuing the American Dream from below the poverty line. Maid is Stephanie's story, but it's not hers alone. It is an inspiring testament of the strength, determination, and ultimate triumph of the human spirit. -- |
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| Physical Description: |
xiv, 270 pages ; 24 cm |
| Awards: |
New York Times Best Sellers, 2019. |
| ISBN: |
9780316505093 0316505099 9780316505116 0316505110 1549173952 9781549173950 0316454508 9780316454506 |
| 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) |