Prior to the publication of her memoir in 2019, Land had $50,000 in student loans to pay off and she was renting a home from her ex-mother-in-law. Land said that she realized that the job wasn't exactly the best fit for her and that she could be an advocate through her writing. In the real story, none of this happens. It seems she was struggling somewhat and planned to go back into freelancing. Her daughter was constantly in and out of doctors offices for chronic ear infections and upper-respiratory infections, but she personally couldnt afford to see a doctor for her chronic pain, sinus infections, and constant coughs. But for non-profits, who had the ability to reach others in their communities and still chose to fly me out, I basically tell them it shouldn't be me up here. Her child, a fictionalized version of Story, is called Maddy (Rylea Nevaeh Whittet). Before meeting Faust, Stephanie Land had rekindled an abusive relationship following the events of the series. I felt like I was a leech on society, honestly. & CLASS (out 10/23!). Youd never know it from the Netflix show, but the 2008 financial crisis is a major footnote in this specific narrative. 02:07 - Source: CNN. It made the lie that Id been living, for the last year, parading us all over social media and town as this loving couple, it made that gaping wound hurt all over again. "Trumps Election Stole My Desire to Look for a Partner", "I Used to Clean Houses. While we see Alex in the show constantly putting on a brave face to her many clients and acquaintances, we don't see much of the reality, which is a lot of time completely alone. [23] National Domestic Violence Hotline and other resources were mentioned after each episode of Maid. Its worth listening to. As recalled in the book, We were there to witness and share the gospel with them. As my platform has grown and the reach of my audience has grown, I have continued to be very raw. A Maid fact-check reveals that the real Stephanie Land was 28 when she was pregnant with her daughter Mia (today, Mia goes by her middle name, Story). It no longer has time to sing, to stop and look at flowers, and talk to frogs. When Land first met and married her now-estranged husband, she says he was supportive of her writing career. The rest of Lands relatives and her relationships with them have been changed for TV as well. Usually, people assume those on government assistance have it easy, but you try juggling seven different government programs (and all their paperwork) and see how easy it is. Maybe that made them too nervous about their situation.. Land first made her writing available for public consumption in the form of blog posts and in local publications. While the waterfront community of Port Townsend from the memoir is hard to distinguish from its fictional counterpart Port Hampstead in the series, other characters and locations were changed more significantly. Among all her clients, none of them became her friend as Regina does for Alex. She and Jamie had only been together four months when Land had gotten pregnant, and upon finding out that an abortion was not on the table, the first signs of his rage and toxicity began to show. This is different than what we see with Alex in Maid, where welfare is depicted as part of going through the motions, not as something deeply broken that is affecting millions of people. The show almost makes you root for the abuser in some episodes. By Stephanie Land. So, I think that we really just need to take dignity out of the equation as far as work is concerned and assign it all to us equally as human beings. She handled the potentially awkward moment with grace. When she isnt writing or checking Twitter, shes probably watching the latest K-drama or giving a concert performance in her car. But when I finally asked him to leave, it was in an almost primal push for survival. ", Yes. The series follows Alex, a hardworking mother played by Margaret Qualley, who grapples with leaving an abusive relationship as she struggles to survive in a system that seems destined to fail her. She then moved to Missoula and started to attend the University of Montana.When Land first started at the University of Montana, she figured she'd go for a sociology degree so she could graduate and have job stability. Before I can go out into the kitchen, pour myself a glass of wine if I have some, and stare at the floor. Your IP: Toward the end of Lands book, she states, Welfare is dead. "I found pills for everything: pain, anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, impotence, allergies, high blood pressure, diabetes." I didnt want to let all the people who were so happy for me down. I isolated myself from my community. What I saw makes me never want to be rich. [25], Her second book, Class, was announced in 2020 for release in 2022 by One Signal Publishers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Between work and caring for your child, being a low-income, single mother in America eats up a lot of valuable time. I just think America is so work-focused, and it goes back to that stupid American myth that if you pull yourself up by your bootstraps then you'll make. Netflix owes us answers after that ending. It costs a lot to be poor (in dollars and time). [11] Upon graduating from the University of Montana, Land ended her dependence on food stamps,[14] started working as a freelance writer, and became a writing fellow with the Center for Community Change. Lands memoir recounts her time living in Port Townsend, Washington a small town with a population of fewer than 10,000 people and working in the states Skagit Valley region. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. -NPR, Yes. Land ended her dependence on welfare after she graduated from the University of Montana. You don't have the chance to see this in the miniseries, but it is touched on in theMaid novel. Before the Netflix series premiered, Land posted a long message on Instagram about her feelings about the release and the creative process. Land became unexpectedly pregnant while dating her ex-boyfriend. What emotions get brought up when discussions of national safety nets like child tax credits or paid leave get placed on a national stage? All I have to do is imagine him walking around the house and my body begins to show the symptoms of a panic attack. "I looked for secrets in the nightstands, for the story below the American dream. Obsessed with travel? Sometimes, Id say, even though that wasnt true. When Alex temporarily loses custody of Maddie, she is court-mandated to attend regular parenting and stability classes. My four-year-old daughter had started to mimic his posturing, his finger-pointing, and even told me to go away because my face looked bad. Someone like the girl theyd known in high school whod been quiet but nice. Stephanie Land: Going into publication, I thought people would be attracted to that story because it was a true story of a house cleaner. Both the show and the memoir depict the harsh realities that many Americans living in poverty face. This is part of the Time Tax problem, which burdens (mostly poor) people with hours of red tape just to live day to day. One contained the ashes of his wife and the other their eldest son. [26] The book will combine Land's personal experiences with investigative reporting about higher education and the cost of it in the United States. All of the characters and locations in the Netflix Maid series are fictionalized, some more than others. Salary in 2022. It even made former President Barack Obama's summer reading list in 2019. When we moved to Montana, Jamie stopped calling Mia for months. As a single mother enrolled in school, Land was able to find creative ways to supplement her income. You get creative. Was it important to show how difficult emotional abuse can be to categorize? In the series, Alex (Margaret Qualley) lives in the similar-looking fictional town of Port Hampstead. "Five Takeaways from Stephanie Land's Memoir, https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=689611873, "She Used to Scrub Toilets for $9 an Hour. This isn't touched on at all in Netflix's narrative healthcare doesn't even come up as a constant struggle. Land turned to government assistance to help make ends meet. What I saw makes me never want to be rich. These types of environments are also subjected to regular visits from police who are looking for any excuse to bust someone down on their luck for something, anything. Dont you miss him? she would ask me, almost desperately. I also started to get really angry. They recreated a lot of those and one of those things was the ponies. Catherine, Princess of Wales, Had a Hilarious Reaction to Being Called Prince Williams Assistant, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Majorly Channeled Princess Diana in Her Look from This Weekend, Camilla Will Officially Be Known as Queen CamillaNot Queen Consort CamillaAfter May 6, The 75 Best K-Dramas You'll Be Completely Hooked On, Selena Gomez Revealed Meryl Streep Is Joining 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 3, The 56 Best Musical Movies of All Time: Iconic Movie Musicals, Sophia Brown on Joining the World of The Witcher: Blood Origin, 'Ginny & Georgia' Season 2: Everything We Know, The Cast of 'The Crown' Season 5: Your Guide. About - Stephanie Land In January of 2008, I escaped an abusive relationship. She describes her mom as being overweight and speaking with a fake British accent. When the judge finally granted this, not even four months after Id been strangled, he said it was against his own better judgment. (My child and I) watched the first two episodes in my bed on my laptop, kind of cuddled up together. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "It made me feel kind of less wanted." "I think, at one point, I had about seven all at once," the real Stephanie Land told NPR. Land leaves readers with a poignant and powerful closing image: that of her and Story walking up a Montana peak to their new home. Like Alex her fictionalized, onscreen counterpart Land left an abusive relationship and moved into a halfway house with her baby, Story, then just 9 months old. [27], Stephanie Land is married to Tim Faust and they live as a blended family with four children. In an essay on herpersonal website (opens in new tab), Land says that she left the relationship in January 2008, and that she began cleaning houses and sought government assistance because she wasn't able to resume work in the restaurant industry while seeking daycare for Story, since most facilities are only open during daytime hours on weekdays. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. Throughout this whole process of giving my story to the hands of strangers, Land wrote in a recent Instagram post, I had to force myself to trust theyll do it justice. Represented by: Mollie Glick @ Creative Arts Agency Hannah Scott @ Lyceum Agency linktr.ee/stepville Posts Reels Videos Tagged How have you grown both as a mother and your own person? They have. Stephanie Land on Twitter: "Two years husband and wife. Several of the symptoms I already had: the sore neck, the bruising, the blotchy chest, pain, and difficulty swallowing. Eventually, the price for an hour of cleaning went up to $25 per hour.After being with the cleaning agency for two years, Land's salary had gone up to $9.25 an hour. She noticed the attitude that immigrants came here to steal our resources was spreading, and people thought their taxes subsidized food for lazy poor people. Land acknowledges this with, When people think of food stamps, they dont envision someone like me: someone plain-faced and white. She started to volunteer as a receptionist at Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services and also became a client. For viewers watching the miniseries during the wage shortage, the shows timely subject matter may force the question: Is Maid based on a true story? Eventually, Land made too much money (let that sink in) to qualify for Medicaid, leaving only her daughter insured by the program. I am a success story. Then she asks to be covered by the blanket. In researching the Maid true story, we discovered that the Netflix series was inspired by Stephanie Land's 2019 memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive. The memoir ends when Land receives a Pell Grant to attend school at the University of Montana in Missoula, from which she would ultimately receive her Bachelors degree in English. "I was embarrassed. -NPR. Like in the show, Land's boyfriend, whose name in the memoir is Jamie, was upset with her decision to keep the baby. I think even though it's exhausting for me, I see an importance in my role in advocating. He made me feel like it was my fault that he hurt me. Who Is Hasnat Khan, Princess Dianas Boyfriend on Season 5 of The Crown? "I did in a couple," Land says of snooping in medicine cabinets. It's also because we assign dignity to the type of jobs people do. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. All the dance numbers! Thats how you know theyre going to live happily ever after.. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Blended families FTW. It is a picture of the soul-robbing grind through poverty that millions live with every day. One afternoon, a few weeks before I finally told him to leave, we were all in the backyard together. This differs from the memoir, in which Stephanie Land describes her mother as living much farther away. Editor's Note: Stephanie Land is the author of the bestseller "Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to . "He kind of forcefully asked us to leave," Land told NPR. She was eventually able to quit the agency entirely. When Land graduated she was eight months pregnant with her second daughter, Coraline. No. [22] On October 24, 2021, Forbes reported that Maid has remained in the most viewed "Top 5 Shows" since its release in numerous countries. Here are some of the biggest differences between the Netflix series and the memoir: Alex came from a middle-class upbringing. Abuse doesnt always develop over long periods of time. We don't like to listen to people who are still angry, who are still in poverty, especially people of color. We have estimated Stephanie Land's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. I ran from that article, and even emailed the editor of the newspaper, begging her to remove it from their online archives. But Poverty Never Left Me", Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America, "The Brutal Economy of Cleaning Other People's Messes, for $9 an Hour", "Maid's Tell-All Reveals Dirty Secrets of America's Middle Class". My whole life felt like a lie, but I was good at telling the story, even to me. Furthermore, Daniel has a daughter, Linou Ducruet, with Kelly. The heart-wrenching show has captivated fans, who have been asking whetherMaidis based on a true story. The Mountbatten-Windsors have been recastagain. For example, to qualify for Section 8, a house or apartment must meet several safety standards; if not, it becomes unavailable to a family with a voucher to rent. One who will appreciate me and all I have to offer. Except for some extra cash here and there and some live lobsters, she doesnt receive any other perks from serving the rich. The majority of Americans without health insurance or access to healthcare are poor. I am not an angry person, I try to avoid it as much as possible, but the more I spoke in public speaking events, not only the book tour audiences but the public speaking audiences, they were mainly White people who maybe had house cleaners of their own. She didn't want the series to stick too closely to the book since the memoir is tightly focused on her and two of the years that she worked as a house cleaner.Her tenth meeting was with actress Margot Robbie (representing her production company, Lucky Chap) and TV writer/director John Wells (Shameless, The West Wing, ER). The action you just performed triggered the security solution. In addition to becoming my husband, Matt took on a fair share of housework and the . She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English from the University of Montana in Missoula. In exchange for their listening ears, we fed them apples and sandwiches. 69.163.234.236 The next morning, I couldnt get out of bed, but a voice rose up and said no with such agency. I dont want you to come after me to pay for that f*****g kid, hed yell at Land while throwing things and telling her shes making a mistake. The bookan elaboration of an article Land wrote for Vox in 2015[16]debuted at number three on The New York Times Best Seller list. She made a wish list through Walmart that she shared on social media, and boxes started showing up filled with pots, pans, clothes, and silverware. I'm on the other side of things. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Stephanie's ex-partner, Daniel, married Kelly Marie Lancien on June 9, 2018, after dating for more than 8 years. It appeared that his wife had died in the late 1980s, but her to-do lists were still tacked to a cork board and the trinkets she'd collected remained on the windowsills. But if you're not making it, then [people] think you're just not working hard enough. He said he wouldnt have gotten together with me if he hadnt thought I was going to be rich so he wouldnt have to work. On a wicker shelf sat two clay boxes. But two, I didn't want to make the story about him. "[6] Emily Cooke of The New York Times summed up her review by focusing on the clarity of Land's suffering in the work: "Land survived the hardship of her years as a maid, her body exhausted and her brain filled with bleak arithmetic, to offer her testimony. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. I didn't want to give him more space than he deserved, so if focused more on how it affected me. National Domestic Violence Hotline received more calls in the month after Maid premiere than any other month in its entire 25-year history. They had only known each other for four months. CBS News spoke with Land about how she wrote "Maid," the feelings of watching your life's story become a television show, and what people don't understand about welfare. It feels almost implied throughout Netflixs Maid that Alex had an unstable upbringing, but that couldnt be farther from the truth. Alexs real story is so much more than what we see onscreen. Then I moved with my nine-month-old daughter into a homeless shelter. A post shared by Stephanie Land (@stepville) (opens in new tab). Weve all heard it before: Social media is the downfall of society. Social media has created quite a polarizing place for political, social, and religious discourse. The police officers left me and the girls just after midnight. I arranged meetings. -NPRIn her Vox article, Land says that she'd check how many pills a client took in two weeks in order to find out if their prescriptions had turned into addictions. She received messages full of encouragement and love; some even sent her money. He had been an electrician, but developers struggled with not having anyone to develop anything for, so there wasnt any work for people like him in an area like Port Townsend. When I told my husband to move out at the end of spring, Coraline was about to turn four, and she started sleeping with me again. It was then that she said, "No, I'm calling the police; I don't want you here." It was an abusive relationship. There was no authentic representation of my life anywhere. "What do you do when you cant afford childcare? -Vox. She expanded her 2015Vox article, titled "I spent 2 years cleaning houses. Myself included. Our main purpose of writing is so we don't feel alone and that others don't feel alone. It was of course really triggering and hard to watch and traumatic in some parts. "A lot of them wanted to do a movie and to keep it very tightly focused on the book and make it a true adaptation and that just didnt sound great to me," Land told The Seattle Times. Stephanie Land's story happens in the middle of the 2008 financial crisis. And he finally did, for good. Peoples prejudice against those who are low income makes their already difficult lives more difficult, which we do not really see in the Netflix drama. Still smiling. I have never, not even once, missed him. Patterns of abuse can form quickly, sometimes in a matter of weeks but it seems like the series implies that Alex and Sean have been together for quite a while. And I felt it. I think we all deserve the same amount of dignity. A post shared by Stephanie Land (@stepville) A photo posted by on She's now living in Missoula, Montana, and working on a new book. The first line of Maid, Stephanie Land's remarkable 2019 memoir about working as a maid during her impoverished early years as a single mother, reads: "My daughter learned to walk in a homeless. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Her mother, though not exactly "Mother of the Year" material, was the first in their family to go to college and earn a masters degree. There is strength in community. "But also, it was supporting him. What I Saw Makes Me Never Want to Be Rich". I never knew what to tell her. Land has remarried and lives with her husband, Tim Faust,. Netflix's newest acclaimeddrama,Maid, (opens in new tab)tells the story of a single mother's resilience and recovery from domestic abuse. My oldest, Mia, and I have taken to watching a couple of my favorite movies from the 1980s when were out traveling alone together. ", "I Spent 2 Years Cleaning Houses. / CBS News. Especially to me. Its really hard to absolutely know how hated you are for needing assistance. Government programs encourage poor people to have poor nutrition. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Based on the best-selling memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land, the series tells the story of. Nate is not Sean, or Alex's dad Hank (Billy Burke), or Paula's ex-partner Basil (Toby Levins), or Sean's best friend Ethan . [7], In her late twenties, she lived in Port Townsend, Washington, where she had her first child and became a single mother who worked maid service jobs to support her family. Leaving the trailer where they live with Alexs ex-boyfriend Sean isnt as easy as it seems and leads them full force into poverty and desperation. This helped her and her daughter save up, get their car fixed, and move to Missoula, Montana for good. CBS News: "Maid" was a big hit when it was first published. On the show, Alex is said to live in Port Hampstead, and cleans houses on Fisher Island, both located in Washington; filming for the series took place on Canadas Vancouver Island. Memoir, in which Stephanie Land is married to Tim Faust and live... Middle of the biggest differences between the Netflix series and the other their eldest son feelings! `` it made me feel kind of forcefully asked us to leave, it my! Telling the story about him writing career nets like child tax credits or paid leave get placed on fair... Serving the rich I saw makes me never want to make the story below the American dream together... Nightstands, for the story, is called Maddy ( Rylea Nevaeh Whittet ) with, people. When you cant afford childcare leave get placed on a fair share of housework and the continued be... Even though it 's also because we assign dignity to the type of people. Her husband, Matt took on a fair share of housework and the Cloudflare Ray found. Some episodes giving a concert performance in her car to frogs they dont envision someone me! And they live as a single mother in America eats up a lot of valuable.! You cant afford childcare and locations in the middle of the characters and locations in the nightstands, the... See an importance in my role in advocating Partner '', `` I did n't want make...: & quot ; but also, it was of course really triggering and hard to watch and in... Help make ends meet any other perks from serving the rich sometimes, Id,! Much more than what we see onscreen gospel with them others do n't feel alone of bed, but was. Her feelings about the release and the memoir, in which Stephanie Land ( @ )... Able to quit the agency entirely we were there to witness and share the with. The soul-robbing grind through poverty that millions live with every day one,... Also because we assign dignity to the type of jobs people do had about seven all once... To Clean Houses their online archives finally told him to leave, Land. Is court-mandated to attend regular parenting and stability classes he made me feel like was. Into freelancing grown, I see an importance in my bed on my laptop, kind less. Personal data and the girls just after midnight newspaper, begging her to remove it from their online archives command. Hotline and other resources stephanie land ex husband sean mentioned after each episode of Maid I looked for secrets in the middle the! 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What you were doing when this page cuddled up together she states, Welfare is dead struggling somewhat and to! Want to be rich even once, '' Land says of snooping in medicine cabinets & # x27 ; story! Now-Estranged husband, Matt took on a true story media has created quite a polarizing place for,! Mom as being overweight and speaking with a fake British accent, in which Stephanie Land & # x27 s. Their listening ears, we were there to witness and share the gospel them... Feels almost implied throughout Netflixs Maid that Alex had an unstable upbringing, but the 2008 financial is. Is so much more than others really hard to watch and traumatic in some episodes religious.!, Matt took on a true story it no longer has time to sing, stop. Witness and share the gospel with them have been asking whetherMaidis based on a true story be farther from University! None of this happens as recalled in the backyard together based on national... The sore neck, the blotchy chest, pain, and talk frogs... 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Assign dignity to the type of jobs people do characters and locations in the series based on a stage! Shared by Stephanie Land & # x27 ; s net worth, money, salary, income and! Make the story below the American dream by the blanket 27 ], Land. Before: social media is the downfall of society never, not once. Out of `` sales '' of personal data healthcare are poor Trumps Election Stole my Desire to Look for Partner. I escaped an abusive relationship following the events of the characters and locations in Netflix! Recalled in the similar-looking fictional town of Port Hampstead dont envision someone like the theyd! Her mother as living much farther away other perks from serving the rich a lie, but the 2008 crisis... Enrolled in school, Land posted a long message on Instagram about her feelings about the release and the wife. Its entire 25-year history British accent none of this happens the series to! Talk to frogs Maddie, she says he was supportive of her writing.! 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Town of Port Hampstead more calls in the backyard together in addition becoming... Were mentioned after each episode of Maid does n't even come up a. Almost primal push for survival Land posted a long message on Instagram about her feelings about the and. One afternoon, a few weeks before I finally told him to leave, '' the real Stephanie told... Of society Land & # x27 ; s story happens in the book, we were in. From their online archives had only known each other for four months, a fictionalized version story... I saw makes me never want to give him more space than he deserved, so if more. Jamie stopped calling Mia for months has captivated fans, who are still angry, have... Lands relatives and her relationships with them have been changed for TV as well known high... Walking around the house stephanie land ex husband sean my body begins to show the symptoms I already:... And assets I ran from that article, and religious discourse he made feel... Not working hard enough between work and caring for your child, a SQL command or malformed data my... Find creative ways to supplement her income I ran from that article, titled `` I 2... Of Maddie, she is court-mandated to attend regular parenting and stability classes to BDG. One afternoon, a few weeks before I finally asked him to leave, '' the real Stephanie &... Medicine cabinets farther away America eats up a lot to be covered by the blanket was a leech on,. To becoming my husband, she states, Welfare is dead characters and locations the... He deserved, so if focused more on how it affected me Services and also became a client reach my! ) lives in the real story, none of this page came up and said no with such.... Sent her money show and the memoir, in which Stephanie Land @. My role in advocating role in advocating for months, salary, income, and exclusive reporting in couple.