​​The 2020-21 “One Book, One College" reading campaign at Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) has launched with the selection of Maid by Stephanie Land.

The successful One Book, One College concept began as a way to encourage reading for pleasure, critical thinking, global awareness and multicultural understanding. A recommended read on RCSJ's Cumberland and Gloucester campuses, members of the community are also urged to read the book.

Named one of The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2019, Maid gives a voice to members of an invisible population who live, work and raise their families while experiencing food and housing insecurity in the United States.

At 28, the author's plans of breaking free from the roots of her hometown in the Pacific Northwest, to chase her dreams of attending a university and becoming a writer, were cut short when a summer fling resulted in an unexpected pregnancy. She turned to housekeeping to make ends meet, and with a tenacious grip on her dream to provide her daughter the very best life possible, Land worked days and took classes online to earn a college degree, and began to write the true stories that were not being told.

This important and touching memoir underscores the societal reality of marginalizing the poor through an unforgettable recounting of Land's own remarkable journey of surviving domestic abuse and extreme poverty; navigating the joys, terrors and challenges of single-motherhood; overcoming barriers to higher education; and ultimately achieving self-actualization and fulfillment. Maid is an inspiring testament to the strength, determination and ultimate triumph of the human spirit.

A much-anticipated highlight of the reading initiative is a campus visit each year by the featured author, the date of which will be determined. For more information about the

One Book, One College reading program at Rowan College of South Jersey, contact Judy Cirucci at [email protected].​