Week Twelve Prompt
The Readers’ Advisory Matrix
Title: How to Keep House While Drowning (2020)
Author: K.C. Davis
Length: 156 pages (Kindle)
Synopsis: Davis, who is very popular on TikTok, wrote this quick nonfiction guide on how to not become overwhelmed by the upkeep of one’s personal space. People with disabilities/disabled people/neurospicy people/overwhelmed parents have extra challenges that make it hard to keep their homes clean and tidy without “drowning.” Davis explains how people can keep their place relatively organized while understanding that people only have so many spoons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory) and coaching them to not feel defeated for not getting things done as fast or as well as they would like.
Where is the book on the narrative continuum? A mix (some highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose)
What is the subject of the book? Cleaning and organization for people with disabilities and/or people with hectic lives.
What type of book is it? Self-Help
Articulate appeal
What is the pacing of the book? It reads really fast, which makes sense because it is approximately 150 pages.
Describe the characters of the book. This is more of a self-help guide. Davis mentions her own life as well as people that she knows or has worked with and their struggles.
How does the story feel? It’s not so much of a story, though there are anecdotes and examples written throughout.
What is the intent of the story? It is intended to help people deal with the internalized shame of not being able to take care of themselves/their home the way they would like because they have insufficient energy to do so.
What is the intent of the author? To normalize not being perfect and to urge readers to not be hard on themselves or feel lesser.
What is the focus of the story? Throughout the book, she advises readers that perfection isn’t necessary, realistic, or even real. No one lives curated lives like in home design magazines, TV shows, or on social media. People live in their homes and they show that. This is normal. She also makes sure that her readers understand that anything worth doing is worth doing partially.
Does the language matter? Yes. When speaking to or on behalf of people with disabilities, language is very important. People with invisible disabilities have to deal with the stigma of being seen as lazy when they are trying their best.
Are there details and, if so, what? Davis gives ideas on how to clean when things are rough. She advises people to do what they can. If that means that the trash is picked up and taken out, then that is a success for the day. If thats all that can be done, it's all that can be done and people should celebrate those small victories and not push themselves to clean their entire house all at once.
Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? There are a few line drawings throughout. It isn’t a very graphic-heavy book.
Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? Yes. Since it is a self-help book, it is the most important aspect of it.
Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank appeal)?
1. They are dealing with a disability and/or are a busy parent or caregiver that finds it tough to take care of their home.
2. They don’t want a long and unwieldy book. It is written in a succinct language and has very short chapters so that people aren’t overwhelmed by information.
3. They are looking for a cleaning and lifestyle book that takes disability into account and doesn’t veer into toxicity, grind mindset, or bootstrap nonsense.
Edit: I also recommend the book Fair Play by Eve Rodsky, for people, especially AFAB and women that date/marry men to read because of the mental load we take on because of societal expectations regarding men and housework. Actually, I also recommend it for men so they can help their partners shoulder the burden that they may not realize is on them.
Sources
The Readers' Advisory Guide to Nonfiction, Neal Wyatt, 2007 (Matrix sourced from Appendix B)
Davis, K.C. (2020). How to keep house while drowning. Simon & Schuster.
Image: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1642363232i/60139504.jpg
Hi Katie!
ReplyDeleteMy partner actually just got me a copy of this book and I think it could be really helpful for a lot of people. You make a good point on language and I agree that there needs to be a delicate balance when writing to or about people with disabilities. I think it’s important that this book recognizes and gives a sort of value to those with hidden disabilities and/ or mental illnesses while showing them that there are ways to work on being organized without being too heavy on mental health etc.
Did you like the book/ find the content useful?
Thanks for responding!
DeleteYes, I loved this book and found it very helpful. Some of it was things I'd already instinctively started doing but other things were new to me. As someone who is neurospicy and Bipolar, these sorts of books are invaluable when done right. So much self-help media is very grindset and bootstrap-y, and that is NOT helpful for people who are struggling and can make them feel like they are the problem.
It's a fast read and if you don't have time you could skip around to interesting parts or read it in short time intervals. The chapters are all around two or three pages, so it's not overwhelming or info-dumping.
People with hidden disabilities deserve kindness that society doesn't always give them. It's nice to see an author make sure her audience understands that we aren't all lazy or unmotivated (at least not unmotivated without good reason, anyway).