Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive

Written by:
Stephanie Land
Narrated by:
Stephanie Land

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
152
Narrator
24
Release Date
January 2019
Duration
8 hours 30 minutes
Summary
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND INSPIRATION FOR THE NETFLIX LIMITED SERIES, HAILED BY ROLLING STONE AS "A GREAT ONE."
  "A single mother's personal, unflinching look at America's class divide, a description of the tightrope many families walk just to get by, and a reminder of the dignity of all work."

-PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, Obama's Summer Reading List


At 28, Stephanie Land's dreams of attending a university and becoming a writer quickly dissolved when a summer fling turned into an unplanned pregnancy. Before long, she found herself a single mother, scraping by as a housekeeper to make ends meet.

Maid is an emotionally raw, masterful account of Stephanie's years spent in service to upper middle class America as a "nameless ghost" who quietly shared in her clients' triumphs, tragedies, and deepest secrets. Driven to carve out a better life for her family, she cleaned by day and took online classes by night, writing relentlessly as she worked toward earning a college degree. She wrote of the true stories that weren't being told: of living on food stamps and WIC coupons, of government programs that barely provided housing, of aloof government employees who shamed her for receiving what little assistance she did. Above all else, she wrote about pursuing the myth of the American Dream from the poverty line, all the while slashing through deep-rooted stigmas of the working poor.

Maid is Stephanie's story, but it's not hers alone. It is an inspiring testament to the courage, determination, and ultimate strength of the human spirit.
 
Reviews
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Ann K.

Very good read. I appreciate personal perception of the challenges related to poverty and single parenting.

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Donna O.

Not what I expected, even though I read the tagline. Although, being a housecleaner is part of her life, her struggles would have been the same in most occupations. Stephanie land is a talented writer with a strong voice. Im always suspect when an author reads his/her own work. But her voice is as compelling as her writing. No one else could have read it. Looking forward to more titles by this author.

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Anonymous

Wonderful opportunity for discussion at our book club.

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Carissa B.

Amazing Book

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Stephanie M.

I was once a struggling single mom of 3 children in Pacific NW, also. I ,too, had to barter daycare and help with rent, college, etc. But I did it! On the positive side: I think Stephanie has a great future in writing and enjoyed her narration. I'm proud she overcame her challenges. Negative: I was taken back by so much passive aggression towards so helpful programs and people she encountered. No one in this world goes without any regrets or challenges, but I tired of the whining and blaming everyone else. Still, I would read and listen to her again, but hopefully something happier!

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Anonymous

Horrible. Not at all what I was expecting. This is not a look into the life of a hard-working maid and her struggles as a single mom. This is a pity party for a grown woman who never takes responsibility for her own actions. She blames everyone else for her problems. She spent her twenties partying instead of becoming financially stable and then got accidentally pregnant and kept the baby. She continued to make very poor financial decisions that weren't in the best interest of her child. This entire book was her complaining about the results of these choices with zero self-reflection. This was a huge waste of my time. I will continue to look for a memoir on this topic that has some actual substance!

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Anonymous

I prefer a professional narrator. I believe only 5% of do gooder parts are true and what’s most true is the whiney whoa is me story that drones on and is basically repeated in every chapter. I’m shocked this book has such a high rating and the only one out of 100’s I’ve listened to that makes me want my money back.

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Jillian R.

This was a pretty good listen. It kept my attention the whole time. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration of it.

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