Book review: Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education

Big Sky Country is breathtakingly beautiful, with its bright summer days and cold winter nights. But living in Missoula, Montana—with its farmers markets, art scene, musical venues, and university—is challenging for a single mother without family support or a trustworthy vehicle to navigate the road to a better life. 

Stephanie Land believes her way out of poverty is through education, and she is determined to get that college degree and become a self-sustaining writer. With staggering student loans and food stamps in her pocket, she depends on flexible but low-paying housecleaning jobs and roommates for childcare. Land manages to bargain for extras, like gymnastics classes during school breaks for her daughter, while subsisting at times on peanut butter herself. She even tackles child support and visitation issues with her abusive-but-absent ex. Still, the joys of learning and the precious moments of motherhood are ever-present even though it’s a hard life, with a few ice cream cones and dates in between. 

Land’s experiences are not out of bounds for the rest of us. She grew up in a middle-class family, but a car accident and PTSD sidelined her. The value of education sustained her while hard work didn’t make ends meet. 

Class continues Stephanie Land’s personal story, which started in her bestselling debut, Maid (2019). This time, however, she focuses on education instead of work. If you missed the first book (like me), you’ll be greedy to read Maid afterward because Land is an exceptional writer with compelling, gritty, and accessible experiences.

rating: ★★★★★

Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education
by Stephanie Land
Atria/One Signal Publishers

Book review: Loyola Kids Book of Seasons, Feasts, and Celebrations

As a child, it's difficult to sit quietly and listen in church if you don’t understand what’s going on and why. That's why Loyola Kids Book of Seasons, Feasts, and Celebrations provides insight into the Christian calendar of celebrations, from events in Jesus’ life to the feasts of Mary and the saints. 

Author Mary Welborn explains how Sunday services revolve around readings, prayers, and songs chosen specifically for each liturgical season. She tells how to use your senses to experience the mass, from checking the vestment and flower colors to expressions conveyed through music. She also includes how other cultures, countries, and the Eastern church may have different ways of celebrating holy days. 

Welborn also chooses a variety of saints days, from Lily of the Mohawks (July 14) and Joan d’Arc (May 30) to All Saints Day (November 1), All Souls Day (November 2), and Dias de la Muertos (November 1 and 2). The book closes with major Jewish feast days. 

Loyola Press offers more titles in the Loyola Kids Book series that complements this one.

rating: ★★★★★

Loyola Kids Book of Seasons, Feasts, and Celebrations
by Amy Welborn
Loyola Press