Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education
the sequel & origin story of Maid
the sequel & origin story of Maid
“My daughter arrived at her first day of kindergarten with a backpack full of donated supplies.”
From the New York Times bestselling author who inspired the hit Netflix series about a struggling mother barely making ends meet as a housecleaner—a gripping memoir about college, motherhood, poverty, and life after Maid.
When Stephanie Land set out to write her memoir Maid, she never could have imagined what was to come. Handpicked by President Barack Obama as one of the best books of 2019, it was called “an eye-opening journey into the lives of the working poor” (People). Later it was adapted into the hit Netflix series Maid, which was viewed by 67 million households and was Netflix’s fourth most-watched show in 2021, garnering three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Stephanie’s escape out of poverty and abuse in search of a better life inspired millions.
Maid was a story about a housecleaner, but it was also a story about a woman with a dream. In Class, Land takes us with her as she finishes college and pursues her writing career. Facing barriers at every turn including a byzantine loan system, not having enough money for food, navigating the judgments of professors and fellow students who didn’t understand the demands of attending college while under the poverty line—Land finds a way to survive once again, finally graduating in her mid-thirties.
Class paints an intimate and heartbreaking portrait of motherhood as it converges and often conflicts with personal desire and professional ambition. Who has the right to create art? Who has the right to go to college? And what kind of work is valued in our culture? In clear, candid, and moving prose, Class grapples with these questions, offering a searing indictment of America’s educational system and an inspiring testimony of a mother’s triumph against all odds.
Who is the stuffed mouse on the cover?
“In a discussion for the cover design of CLASS, I said it would be awesome if it could just be our backpacks and my daughter’s stuffed animal, Blueberry, who plays an important role in the book itself. Blueberry has been a favorite since Story turned to smile at him when she was just six days old. After many photo shoots with Blueberry, he made the book cover, much to Story’s delight. I love it so much that I asked a couple of my favorite artists to create a replica of him.” – Stephanie
How can I make a living as a writer?
“ With a certain amount of determination, insanity, and addiction to drama, it is possible to gross a few thousand bucks a month creating and editing content for websites and magazines. You find work by googling for it, by signing up for email newsletters of others who want to share their knowledge. There are lots and lots of them. Start with the Morning Coffee Newsletter through Freelancing.com, Upwork, and WhoPaysWriters. Ask local businesses if they need new content for their website. Email websites and ask if they’d like to publish an article or essay you’ve written. It starts out like this. You toil away at finding work, then jump up and down like nobody’s business when you get a “yes.” That’s where the determination, insanity and drama comes in.” – Stephanie
What is the biggest difference between MAID & CLASS?
“I’m a bit older in this book. At its start, I’m about to turn 35 and begin my senior year of college. Emilia (who went by “Mia” in Maid) is beginning kindergarten. I’m not as shell-shocked, but still have to juggle several of the same impossibilities as I did in Maid. It’s still an everyday struggle to be secure in housing and whether or not we have enough food in the cupboards. I’m angrier and less apologetic. I’m weathered and fed up but have the same dreams of being a professional writer–and the same, adorable kid who keeps me on my toes.” – Stephanie
“A beautiful memoir that’s an honest portrayal of persistence and life and writing and children. Stephanie Land did the work, and it shows.”
“Stephanie Land’s balls-out boldness with which to tell a story is admirable. Class makes for a compelling read that will make you root for her from page one.”