Maid is Stephanie Land's memoir of her arduous and often back-breaking journey to claw herself out of poverty and to find a place of belonging and financial stability for her and her young daughter. It details her desperation to take on any menial jobs available to make ends meet while being a single mother, taking night classes to complete her degree, and being on government assistance that barely bridged the gap to food and shelter.
I found the writing to be stirring and heartbreaking. Land often had to make impossible choices, such as staying in an abusive relationship, or leaving and being homeless. Or putting her daughter in a crummy daycare versus caring for her when she's sick but losing her wages for the day. Her raw desperation could be felt in the pages.
Land also talks about the demoralizing interactions she had with people who looked down on her need for government assistance. Strangers would yell "You're welcome!" when she tried to use food stamps at grocery stores, as if being poor is somehow a choice and a moral failing. Even on food stamps, she often could only afford to eat instant noodles at the end of the month when her food budget ran out.
And yet, even though Land's tale is no doubt compelling, I do admit I found the memoir to be a little lacking. Land spends a lot of time talking about her maid jobs, the houses she cleans, what the state of the rooms are, and what she guesses her clients and their lives are like. It makes for a juicy read, sure, but it doesn't add any insight. There is so much potential in this book, yet much remains unexplored.
For example, I would have liked to read her views on what policy changes would make a difference. There is so much she personally encountered that didn't quite work for her (minimum wage and government assistance) or she didn't have access to (benefits and health care). I would have liked to see her take those and put forth a discussion on what could be done to make things better, not just for her but also others going through a hard time.
In the end, this was a riveting and moving tale of one person's struggles through poverty, and I appreciate it for what it is. I just wish Land had used the opportunity to turn her personal perspective into suggestions on policy updates, without which nothing will change. In that respect, this book felt like a missed opportunity.
Readaroo Rating: 3 stars
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