"Rand not only explores her own story but also the larger implications of what it means to fall through the cracks of American capitalism." -The New York Times

A gripping memoir about college, motherhood, poverty, and life after "The Maid" from the New York Times bestselling author and inspiration for the hit Netflix series about a mother who barely makes a living as a house cleaner. When Stephanie Rand set out to write her memoir, "Maid," she couldn't imagine what would happen next.

Selected by President Barack Obama as one of his best books of 2019, the book was called "an eye-opening journey into the lives of the working poor" (People). It was later adapted into the hit Netflix series "Made," which was watched by 67 million households, became Netflix's fourth most-watched show in 2021, and was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards. Stephanie's journey out of poverty and abuse in search of a better life has inspired millions.

The Maid is both the story of a housecleaner and a woman with a dream; in Class, Rand walks with her as she graduates from college and pursues a career as a writer. Faced with all the barriers of a complicated loan system, a lack of money for food, and criticism from professors and fellow students who do not understand attending college under the poverty line, Rand finds a way to survive again, finally graduating in her mid-30s. With an intimate and poignant touch, "Class" depicts the convergence and often conflict of motherhood with personal desires and professional ambitions.

Who has the right to create art? Who has the right to go to college? And what kind of work is valued in our culture? With clear, frank, and moving writing, "Class" addresses these questions, offering a biting critique of the American educational system and a moving testimony of a mother who overcame all odds.