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

I found this book un-put-downable, and never did I get any sense that the Author had a sense of entitlement. The one thing she, and everyone in the same boat should be entitled to - respect, she found to be severely lacking at times. The system in the UK, as well as the US, is loaded against families struggling to get above the poverty and meanness of their situation. I wanted to cry along with Stephanie when it all got very bad. I will re read this book again, it is so beautifully written. Stephanie deserves her success, I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I hoped I would enjoy this book, especially as a fellow struggling single parent who cleaned houses to make ends meet. Instead all I got from the writer was a sense of entitlement and anger at the "system" not meeting her needs, the low pay for cleaners, bring homeless, when in truth she got herself into various situations with her eyes wide open and didn't do much aside from complain.There didn't seem to be a lesson learnt by the end of her experience, possibly to make better choices in future.Very glad her life is much improved, especially for her daughter's sake.

Any criticism of this book is from the very people who ought to feel ashamed to read it. Those with no compassion or empathy for a woman who has fought, made mistakes, kept fight made mistakes, fought and triumphed. Judge an author in context, is this a perfectly articulated, book, no, it's a first book, and it's of feelings and experiences that most of the critics have never and probably won't ever experience.Empathy and compassion are not sins, I read this book and watched the series with a very uncomfortable feeling, Ms Land conveys the hopelessness, the grief and desperation that people stuck in a bureaucratic system that should uplift but is so complex, incoherent, punitive and miserly that it rarely helps to uplift.If you are open to a raw, emotional and uncomfortable read about misogyny, abuse, mea culpa's and inquity this is it.

This is my new favourite book. I loved the Netflix series and this book is even better. Such a gripping account and so beautifully written. I am now on the look out for other work from this author.100% recommend!

This was a really inspiring story and very thought provoking. I watched the Netflix series afterwards and the book was so much better, glad I read the book first