Netflix users are hooked on a new US drama series called Maid. So inevitably, they want to know if it's based on a true story.
Starring Margaret Qualley, Maid tells the story of Alex, a young mother who flees an abusive relationship and finds a job cleaning houses to provide for her and her young child.
The Netflix series is made up of ten one-hour episodes and also stars Andie MacDowell as Paula and Nick Robinson as Sean. It's been deemed 'the most important series in history.'
Is Maid based on a true story?
Maid is, sadly, based on a true story. It's the story of Stephanie Land, whose 2019 memoir - Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive - is the inspiration for the Netflix series.
Land was raised in a middle class household, but found herself below the poverty line later on in life having developed PTSD and become a single mother.
Alex's experience in the series is based upon a lot of the memories Land wrote about in her memoir, according to Radio Times, including Alex's reliance on the welfare system, an abusive relationship, struggling to afford food and being forced to turn to a homeless shelter with her daughter.
It's reported that Land worked a cleaning job for six years before securing a place at the University of Montana. She eventually built her career as a freelance writer and her early pieces were published in the likes of Vox and New York Times. But up until that point, Land relied on food stamps and financial support from the University.
Critics say that the Netflix series will be hitting home for many people who have fallen on tough times, even more so as we come out of the pandemic. Land's memoir and the Netflix series challenges the idea that hard work inevitably leads to success and security and the so-called "American Dream."
Where is Maid set?
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Maid is set in the fictional town of Port Hampstead in Washington state, US and is a wealthy fisherman's island.
Port Hamstead is said to be based on Port Townsend, where Stephanie Land actually lived.
Maid is a limited series streaming now on Netflix.Featured Image Credit: NetflixTopics: TV and Film, Netflix