2020: The most striking takeaway for me from this memoir was how much work, time, and energy it takes in order to receive government assistance. It throws into sharp relief how the system fails people living in poverty in the United States, and how difficult it can be to climb out of a bad situation without a support system.

Sure, there were moments in this book where I disagreed with some of Land’s choices, and I thought most of the statements about poverty in America were under-researched. However, this is a memoir, and not meant to show exactly how poverty is for everyone - just for Land.

It was a pleasure to read about an area of the country (Skagit Valley, WA) where I have spent a significant amount of time and have fond memories of. It was difficult to see Land’s struggles there, but if anything, this book has convinced me I need to take a trip to Missoula.