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callienicole's review against another edition
2.0
I picked up this audiobook because the cover caught my eye and the description sounded interesting, However, after finishing this audiobook, and I have mixed feelings.
This book was an interesting memoir about a struggling single mother and how she made ends meet. I thought it was well done, and the writing and narration kept me interested. I can see why the book has done well, because throughout the book you are rooting for the author to make it to a better life. She got me on her team early on, so even when other things were irritating, I stuck with it to see what would happen to her.
On the other hand, this book ended up being a lot more about the welfare system than I thought it would be. I was hopeful at first that the author could give an interesting look at what it’s like to be on welfare while also maintaining a wider perspective and gratitude. I don’t feel like she hit that note. I hate to say this, because it was clear that she found the suggestion offensive, but she sometimes came across a little...entitled.
Listen, I don’t doubt that it’s embarrassing and really tough to be on welfare. I also know that once you are on it, it is really difficult to get out of it because the system does have a somewhat cyclical nature. But I wish she had shown a little gratitude that she at least lives in a country that DOES help people in this way. There was really no gratitude for that in this book or any recognition that if she had been in this spot in many other countries, she could very well starve to death. What qualifies as poverty here does not automatically equal starvation, as it does in many places around the world, and that’s something, right?
A good example of one of the flashes of entitlement is when she gets upset when her WIC coupons will no longer cover the (much more expensive) organic milk. Now she’ll have to get regular old milk instead.
That’s a first world complaint if I’ve ever heard one.
She also seems to have an inflated view of how middle class people actually live, or to view some things as hardship that are actually just normal experiences for anyone who is not wealthy. She talks about having to stretch her food budget at the end of the month and only getting fresh produce at the start of the month because that’s when she feels like she can afford it. She feels inferior when her daughter comes home from a birthday party and raves about all the fresh berries she got to eat, and wishes she could buy fresh berries more often. Yeah, that makes two of us, on both counts. I hardly ever buy fresh berries, because they ARE expensive! And we have often had to stretch at the end of the month. Some of these things just come with managing any modestly-sized grocery budget, whether you are using food stamps or not. The “woe-as-me” tone got to me at these points in the book.
She writes about how she is sometimes treated badly as someone who is on welfare, and she did have to deal with alot of rude comments that were not right at all. But at one point she seems to be a little naive about the fact that people do game the system. There are a lot of people who truly need a hand, and I feel bad that they have to feel embarrassed or shamed about it. But there ARE also people who just take advantage of the system - I know this because my husband worked in Human Resources for our county and had to deal with a lot of welfare fraud. They take money away from people who really do need it, and that’s a shame. It’s something that does have to be dealt with through applying some checks and processes and applications, and it seemed to me she had some misplaced resentment about that.
The most interesting parts to me were when she wrote about what it is actually like to be a maid, and I was happy for her and her daughter when they got themselves in a better place in the end. It was an interesting book in some ways, but slightly frustrating to me in others. Even though I wished there was a more of a global perspective in this book, I am glad I read it, because it gave me a better understanding of what some single mothers and welfare recipients have to deal with. I can’t help but have compassion for people who find themselves in a similar spot. The book was really useful to me in that sense.
This book was an interesting memoir about a struggling single mother and how she made ends meet. I thought it was well done, and the writing and narration kept me interested. I can see why the book has done well, because throughout the book you are rooting for the author to make it to a better life. She got me on her team early on, so even when other things were irritating, I stuck with it to see what would happen to her.
On the other hand, this book ended up being a lot more about the welfare system than I thought it would be. I was hopeful at first that the author could give an interesting look at what it’s like to be on welfare while also maintaining a wider perspective and gratitude. I don’t feel like she hit that note. I hate to say this, because it was clear that she found the suggestion offensive, but she sometimes came across a little...entitled.
Listen, I don’t doubt that it’s embarrassing and really tough to be on welfare. I also know that once you are on it, it is really difficult to get out of it because the system does have a somewhat cyclical nature. But I wish she had shown a little gratitude that she at least lives in a country that DOES help people in this way. There was really no gratitude for that in this book or any recognition that if she had been in this spot in many other countries, she could very well starve to death. What qualifies as poverty here does not automatically equal starvation, as it does in many places around the world, and that’s something, right?
A good example of one of the flashes of entitlement is when she gets upset when her WIC coupons will no longer cover the (much more expensive) organic milk. Now she’ll have to get regular old milk instead.
That’s a first world complaint if I’ve ever heard one.
She also seems to have an inflated view of how middle class people actually live, or to view some things as hardship that are actually just normal experiences for anyone who is not wealthy. She talks about having to stretch her food budget at the end of the month and only getting fresh produce at the start of the month because that’s when she feels like she can afford it. She feels inferior when her daughter comes home from a birthday party and raves about all the fresh berries she got to eat, and wishes she could buy fresh berries more often. Yeah, that makes two of us, on both counts. I hardly ever buy fresh berries, because they ARE expensive! And we have often had to stretch at the end of the month. Some of these things just come with managing any modestly-sized grocery budget, whether you are using food stamps or not. The “woe-as-me” tone got to me at these points in the book.
She writes about how she is sometimes treated badly as someone who is on welfare, and she did have to deal with alot of rude comments that were not right at all. But at one point she seems to be a little naive about the fact that people do game the system. There are a lot of people who truly need a hand, and I feel bad that they have to feel embarrassed or shamed about it. But there ARE also people who just take advantage of the system - I know this because my husband worked in Human Resources for our county and had to deal with a lot of welfare fraud. They take money away from people who really do need it, and that’s a shame. It’s something that does have to be dealt with through applying some checks and processes and applications, and it seemed to me she had some misplaced resentment about that.
The most interesting parts to me were when she wrote about what it is actually like to be a maid, and I was happy for her and her daughter when they got themselves in a better place in the end. It was an interesting book in some ways, but slightly frustrating to me in others. Even though I wished there was a more of a global perspective in this book, I am glad I read it, because it gave me a better understanding of what some single mothers and welfare recipients have to deal with. I can’t help but have compassion for people who find themselves in a similar spot. The book was really useful to me in that sense.
happylilkt's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars very interesting insight into how hard it can be to get out of poverty
crybabybea's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
A good reminder that you never know the extent of what someone is going through, or the reason behind the decisions they make, and to have a little more empathy.
I appreciated the look inside the complicated nature of navigating extreme poverty and homelessness, and single motherhood. I especially found it eye-opening to see the unnecessarily judgmental and harsh standards placed on those seeking help either via social services or homeless/domestic violence shelters.
I found it hard to get through the middle portion of the book as the author spent a lot of time detailing the different homes she cleaned while working as a maid. Though I recognize the purpose of these scenes and think they did a great job juxtaposing the author's struggle to live with the privilege of those she worked for.
I think someone who doesn't know a lot about poverty or the experience of being poor would gain more knowledge from this.
I appreciated the look inside the complicated nature of navigating extreme poverty and homelessness, and single motherhood. I especially found it eye-opening to see the unnecessarily judgmental and harsh standards placed on those seeking help either via social services or homeless/domestic violence shelters.
I found it hard to get through the middle portion of the book as the author spent a lot of time detailing the different homes she cleaned while working as a maid. Though I recognize the purpose of these scenes and think they did a great job juxtaposing the author's struggle to live with the privilege of those she worked for.
I think someone who doesn't know a lot about poverty or the experience of being poor would gain more knowledge from this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Toxic relationship
gingerlibrarian's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
manha10's review against another edition
5.0
I watched the adaption of this incredible story when it came out in 2021 and I was deeply impacted. I finally got around to reading the book in which it was based and it gripped me from the beginning. Land’s courage, motivation, and hard work despite her almost impossible circumstances was both inspirational (though she writes rightfully that there is nothing inspirational about a single mother struggling to make ends meet) and heartbreaking. This book reveals a lot about our social and welfare system that only only looks down upon people living in poverty but keeps them locked in the system so they barely have any chance to escape the constant cycle of poverty. I am glad that while Land revealed the realities of her situation, she also acknowledged that she had certain privilege that was not available to immigrants, undocumented immigrants, and people of color. I am glad that she had the ability to make her dreams come true through it all and that the book ended on a hopeful note. She is a great writer and I can’t wait to read her next book “Class”!
hearthandshope's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
whatsemmyreading's review against another edition
4.0
I added this book to my TBR pile after I watched the Netflix series based off of it, which I really enjoyed. It's a very vulnerable book that kept my attention. I very rarely read memoirs, but the writing in this one kept me turning pages. I liked that there was a lot more detail about her and her family life in this, and how it showed how hard it can be to get through life without a solid support system.