AUDIO

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

by Stephanie Land
7 CDs. Hachette Audio. Feb. 2019. 8:30 hrs. ISBN 9781549173950. $30. digital download. SOC SCI
COPY ISBN
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.]
Reviewed by Ann Weber, Los Gatos, CA , May 01, 2019
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