Maid by: Stephanie Land - Abby Bello

                                        Review: 'Maid,' by Stephanie Land


    Stephanie Land's memoir "Maid" is an honest and candid account of her experiences as a single mother navigating poverty, domestic abuse, and the challenges of the welfare system. Throughout Stephanie's novel, she sheds light on the hidden struggles faced by many Americans living in poverty. This book shows the raw portrayal of her struggles, and highlights the roadblocks she had to face in order to raise her daughter safely under these circumstances.

    The title of the book comes from the job that changed the trajectory of her life and brought hope and light onto her situation. Finding friends and allies to help her steer through her tough times and to help Stephanie follow her dreams in creative writing. Because she wasn't close with her family, she bonded with people while she cleaned their houses or bonded with the women she cleaned with, creating a healthy inner circle and friendships to support her and her daughter. Stephanie's memoir also dives into her legal issues with fighting for the custody of her daughter
and the toll that took on her mentally.

    Overall, I really enjoyed Stephanie's memoir and noticed she has a prequel to this book called “Class” which I would like to read soon. This book is very deep and makes readers feel empathy for her situation and helps them develop an understanding of how it may feel to be in Stephanie’s shoes while bringing awareness to poverty, mental health, and domestic violence. 

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