Maid by Stephanie Land

“Evicted meets Nickel and Dimed” is how the publisher describes MAID by Stephanie Land.  Our students have read those first two titles for class assignments and since we are always looking for an accessible non-fiction text about economic and social issues, I was very curious to see MAID. In this new book, Land describes what it is like to be single, pregnant and poor; she writes about leaving an abusive relationship, tearing up college applications and later watching her child learn to walk in a homeless shelter.  Many other sections of the text (e.g., The Plant House, The Chef's House, The Hoarder House) offer musings about the lives of people who occupy the homes that Land cleans. To get a better idea of Land’s writing style, have a look at her op-ed piece. “A Cleaning Job that Saved My Life,” which appeared recently in The New York Times.  Dark and despairing at times, Land’s story ultimately arrives at a better place for her and daughter Mia. MAID includes a foreword by Barbara Ehrenreich and received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.