Author Stephanie Land has struggled as a single mom in college, but don't call her a 'success story'

In her memoir, “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive,” author Stephanie Land chronicles her experiences as a single mother working for a maid service in Port Townsend, Washington.

The memoir was an instant hit. It debuted at No. 3 on The New York Times nonfiction bestseller list and received public praise from President Barack Obama and celebrities including Reese Witherspoon.

It was also adapted into a hit Netflix miniseries in 2021. The miniseries made some changes to Land’s story, like altering names — Stephanie became Alex, for example. Some characters got their storylines expanded, while others were dropped.

And like many other TV shows, the miniseries adds a happy ending — Alex receives full custody of her daughter and is accepted to the creative writing program at a college in Missoula, Montana.

In real life, Stephanie Land did go to college, but her life didn’t wrap up nicely in a satisfying plotline. Her journey as a single mother living below the poverty line continued.

"There were times that the only food I had to eat was the peanut butter and the grape juice that we got from our WIC check," Land told KUOW's Diana Opong. "That was like a staple in my diet for several weeks."

Land said her senior year of college was the hungriest time of her life. She says it was also the hardest.

"Maid" chronicled the bureaucratic labyrinth Americans like Land have to navigate to access the social services to stay housed and fed. In Land's most recent book, "Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education," Land takes on the added challenges of navigating the U.S. college system as a poor student.

An average day for Land meant long hours caring for her daughter, working, attending class, and trying to squeeze in some homework.

"If everything was perfect, my biggest accomplishment of the day was getting my daughter on a big yellow school bus at 7:58 in the morning," Land said.

In a society that often tells poor people — and especially poor women — getting an education is one of the best ways to escape poverty, Land says she doesn't want her memoir and experience to be used as proof of this argument.

"I never want to be seen as a success story. And I really cringe at anybody pointing to me and saying, 'Well, she did it, can't you?' Land said.

That doesn't mean universities and colleges throughout the U.S. can't do a better job of serving low-income and single parent students though, according to Land.

A professor recently reached out to say that she would be changing her syllabus to let students know it's okay to bring their children to class.

Listen to Soundside’s full conversation with Stephanie Land by clicking the play icon at the top of this story.

Stephanie Land will be at Town Hall Seattle on Nov. 14. Tickets are available at townhallseattle.org.