This is an interesting story of taking a big step and making big in the life. This inspirational tale portrays the true life story of a resilient woman who becomes maid due to the circumstances around her but rises beyond her station with exemplary will.
It is the story of Alex who is living with her partner Sean and their two year old daughter- Maddy in a ramshackle house. Both, Alex and Sean come from the broken families and difficult childhoods carrying their own baggages. Perhaps that is why they are attracted to each other and decide to be together against all odds. In any case, Alex doesn’t have anything to go back to as she had dropped out of college and decided to be a full time mother after her daughter’s birth.
But everything is not so hunky dory as it seems. There is trouble in paradise right from the onset of Maddy’s arrival. Sean is not ready for parenthood and he doesn’t want to make any lifestyle changes to be a father. His frantic attempts to scare and constant emotional abuse drives Alex towards traumatic episodes.
Finally Alex decides to move out and away from Sean. The first stop- her mother who herself has been a victim of domestic abuse and now prefers to live a hippie life, just to turn a blind eye to her mental illness and be in self induced ignorance. So without any familiar or familial support, the only option for Alex is to learn to stand on her own two feet. If not for herself then for the sake of her daughter, she has to plan a better future.
Thus begins Alex’s journey of self discovery; from abuse victims shelter to being a full time maid and then returning back to square one, only to remap her path to self esteem and a better future. On her road to redemption, Alex comes across selfish, self centric, weird and luckily few kind people. The book and this series is all about their stories weaved through Alex’s struggles for existence.
From my personal perspective, I have came across many such Alex in my lifetime who start out as girls with twinkle in their eyes and end up as forgotten housewives working low paying jobs somewhere. Because of where I come from, this for me a storyline that is too familiar or even a tad predictable.
Having said that, this Netflix adaptation is certainly worth your time and money just like the original book by Stephanie Land. This is a phenomenal life story having so many things to note and take inspiration from. The presentation and acting makes it a compelling to watch.