This book begins, "My daughter learned to walk in a homeless shelter." From there, Land explains how she has gotten to the point where she is living in a shelter, trying to make a life for herself and her daughter, and takes the reader through what it took for her to work her way out of poverty as a single parent. Spoiler: it took a lot of very hard work, scrubbing on her hands and knees. Working multiple jobs. Navigating the labyrinth of government aid that was available, and then desperately working to follow the sometimes maddeningly confusing rules of said aid.
I enjoyed this story and was impressed by Land's honest, heartfelt writing. She doesn't try to paint a pretty picture. Instead, this is a brutally honest story about what it takes to survive and thrive in today's society, where the odds are stacked against those with less means, education and support. Land makes it clear that it's very, very difficult for people, especially single parents, to rise out of situations that keep them underemployed and underpaid, even as they work themselves to the bone. It was especially heartbreaking when she would explain just how hard she was working, only to find herself up against circumstances she had no control of (like a place she was living in that had mold). Definitely a very interesting memoir that gives a picture of not only one person's life, but insight into how many people in her situation live.
No comments:
Post a Comment