Maid by Stephanie Land
Star Rating: ★★★★★
A memoir of a woman who grew up in the working lower-middle class in the Pacific Northwest. She ends up pregnant before applying to college and, instead of working her way through college to a more stable life, ends up not applying and leaving an abusive relationship with a newborn for a homeless shelter. She then claws and cleans her way to a better life over years of scraping by and relying on the government systems in place.
Personally, I identified with her story a great deal. Among many other jobs through college, I was a maid at one point while working two other jobs and still not making enough, requiring me to still rely on FAFSA. I would not be where I am without the Pell Grant, HOPE scholarship, and so many people who helped as they could along the way. But, I was petrified to become pregnant because I knew my fate would be sealed.
'It felt like things were falling into place. So much so that I started to grow suspicious. Maybe it was too good for us. Maybe we didn't deserve something that good.'
If you know that feeling, my heart goes out to you.
I did not rate this 5/5 because, while I really wish for everyone to know the struggle of social mobility, I wish there was more about her childhood so the reader could see how hard the climb is when you start underground.
Format read: Audiobook
