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

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive is Stephanie Land’s first book. Land is a former professional house cleaner whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. Her writing explores issues related to systemic poverty, the hardships and stigmas associated with social services, surviving in the gig economy, and the challenges of motherhood. Maid was originally inspired by a Vox article she wrote about her work as a housekeeper, which went viral and attracted the attention of agent Jeff Kleinman. Less than a year later, her full-length book of essays debuted at #3 of the New York Times Best Seller list. The book earned a place on former President Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List and has been picked up by Netflix for a series produced by John Wells and Margot Robbie.

This SuperSummary guide features the 2019 Hachette Books edition of Maid.

Plot Summary

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive details Stephanie Land’s economic struggles in conjunction with her personal evolution. In a series of chronological, memoirist essays, Stephanie describes her gradual transition from single parenthood, poverty, and low-wage labor to a better life as a writer in

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