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sjbozich 's review for:
Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education
by Stephanie Land
I have not read her earlier book, or seen the TV series, "Maid".
Since "Angela's Ashes" so many memoirs (especialy American) have a, "Oh my life was SO hard" feel to them. There is a bit of that in here as well. But over all what I get, and enjoy, is the feeling of perserverance. And choice. And especially in the last third of the book, joy and kindness.
What I also like is that some of her previous studies as a student of Sociology comes to play here. What abusers are, poverty and what others expect you should or should not be capable of doing if you are poor (boy, does that come out in the 1 and 2 star reviews on Goodreads!), and that word that Americans hate to admit to - Class. Yep, this book is not just about classes at the U of Montana, but also about social class in the US of A.
I got a bit of a kick reading about feeling out of place as a 35 year old student at a university. Having gone to college in a large city, older students, especially at public universities, are almost more the norm than the exception.
May I suggest books from a previous generation, a different approach to single motherhood and academia - Mary Clearman Blew. She grew up in *rural* MT, and spent time as a student in Missoula, and also a faculty member at some of the smaller (and often 2 yr schools) in the U of MT and MT State U systems. She spent decades over-riding the "No" so many told her.
I look forward to reading the continuing story of Land's life and career.
My thanks to my local PL for adding this to their collection - and nice to see there is a Wait List to read it!
Since "Angela's Ashes" so many memoirs (especialy American) have a, "Oh my life was SO hard" feel to them. There is a bit of that in here as well. But over all what I get, and enjoy, is the feeling of perserverance. And choice. And especially in the last third of the book, joy and kindness.
What I also like is that some of her previous studies as a student of Sociology comes to play here. What abusers are, poverty and what others expect you should or should not be capable of doing if you are poor (boy, does that come out in the 1 and 2 star reviews on Goodreads!), and that word that Americans hate to admit to - Class. Yep, this book is not just about classes at the U of Montana, but also about social class in the US of A.
I got a bit of a kick reading about feeling out of place as a 35 year old student at a university. Having gone to college in a large city, older students, especially at public universities, are almost more the norm than the exception.
May I suggest books from a previous generation, a different approach to single motherhood and academia - Mary Clearman Blew. She grew up in *rural* MT, and spent time as a student in Missoula, and also a faculty member at some of the smaller (and often 2 yr schools) in the U of MT and MT State U systems. She spent decades over-riding the "No" so many told her.
I look forward to reading the continuing story of Land's life and career.
My thanks to my local PL for adding this to their collection - and nice to see there is a Wait List to read it!