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The Trauma Cleaner
- Narrated by: Rachael Tidd
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
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The Trauma Cleaner
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Publisher's Summary
Husband, father, drag queen, sex worker, wife. You've got to hear Sandra's incredible story.
Sarah Krasnostein's The Trauma Cleaner is a love letter to an extraordinary ordinary life. In Sandra Pankhurst she discovered a woman capable of taking a lifetime of hostility and transphobic abuse and using it to care for some of society's most in-need people. Audible's editors fell in love with Sandra because of her warmth, humour and grace, and we think you will, too. Here’s what we thought of The Trauma Cleaner:
"As an acquiring editor at Audible, I read a huge number of books but this one completely stopped me in my tracks. This is one of the most 'human' books I’ve ever read, with Sandra’s deep emotional empathy told with warmth and humour. Really though, it's incredibly hard to describe this book because it's truly original – you just have to listen to it!" - Harriet, Audible Editor
"Sarah's memoir of Sandra's extraordinary life is one of the most heartfelt, deeply moving and fundamentally human stories I've listened to in a long time. Much like Brian Reed did for John B McLemore in his remarkable S-Town, Sarah paints an incredibly intimate portrait of a woman whose empathy and will to survive shines through with incredible potency. Rarely have I come across a non-fiction story told with such poetic attention to detail." - Tom, Audible Editor
About the book
Sandra Pankhurst founded her trauma cleaning business to help people whose emotional scars are written on their houses. From the forgotten flat of a drug addict to the infested home of a hoarder, Sandra enters properties and lives at the same time. But few of the people she looks after know anything of the complexity of Sandra's own life. Raised in an uncaring home, Sandra's miraculous gift for warmth and humour in the face of unspeakable personal tragedy mark her out as a one-off and make this biography unmissable.
This is a truly unique book, taking the humanity of S-Town, the beauty of H Is for Hawk and the sensitivity of When Breath Becomes Air to create something of startling originality. Sarah gives listeners a window into a life in a way only unforgettable pieces of writing can.
Due to the nature of some of Sandra's life experiences there are parts of the book which some listeners may find upsetting.
About the author
Sarah Krasnostein is a writer and a lawyer with a doctorate in criminal law. A fourth generation American and a third generation Australian, she has lived and worked in both countries. She lives in Melbourne and spends part of the year working in New York City. The Trauma Cleaner (Text Publishing / St Martin's Press) is her first book.
Editorial reviews
Emotional scars and mental-health struggles can manifest in a variety of ways. Among the least well-known, however, is how they can affect a person’s home. Sandra Parkhurst has made it her life’s work to enter these spaces, whether it be the rat and roach-infested homes of hoarders or the boarded-up dwellings of those struggling with addiction, to help restore order and bring peace to those living on the fringes of society.
Sarah Krasnostein's The Trauma Cleaner, which won the Australian Prize for Literature in 2018, shares Parkhurst’s story in tender, heartbreaking detail. Narrator Rachel Tidd brings to life the story of a woman tormented by hostility and transphobic abuse, who managed to remain full of warmth and compassion towards society's most vulnerable. At turns moving, enthralling and deeply upsetting, this fundamentally human story underscores Parkhurst’s remarkable strength and humour in the face of tragedy and adversity.
Sandra's extraordinary, ordinary life
Watch an interview with Sandra, accompanied by photos from throughout her lifeWhat listeners say about The Trauma Cleaner
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stephanie
- 23-04-2018
Heartbreaking from every view. A lesson in empathy
If you could sum up The Trauma Cleaner in three words, what would they be?
upsetting. beautifully told
What other book might you compare The Trauma Cleaner to, and why?
Not sure. Im not a big reader. just getting back into it now.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
Every scene in a new clients home
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
A lesson in empathy
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33 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Creatingorder
- 11-04-2018
Fascinating story
A fascinating story, written sensitively and evocative imagery, and narrated well so that each voice is immediately recognisable.
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31 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Skye Doyle
- 30-05-2018
not what I expected
I thought this book was going to bed about trauma cleaning but it was more about the woman behind the business. Such an inspirational story.
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18 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 15-11-2019
Excellent
Loved it . Beautifully written and told . Definitely well worth listening to.... an inspirational woman
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jane
- 15-11-2019
a must read
This was a book about humanity, the horrific upbringing and the most beautiful hearted woman she has became.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Yvonne
- 28-05-2018
Fantastic Read
Amazing life! So well written and narrated beautifully. I only wished it was a few chapters longer.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 16-11-2019
A challenging yet rewarding read
At one point of this book my finger hovered over the stop and the remove from library button. I am bloody pleased that I chose to stick with it and see it through. Sandra is indeed an amazing woman, whose story of doors opening and doors closing, of love and hate, death and life, and poor choices and good ones, of selfishness and generosity is mesmerising.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robyn Bartley
- 13-05-2018
fantastic!
I loved this book, it was raw and heartfelt, couldn't stop listening. Well narrated too
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alice mahy
- 17-10-2021
Brilliantly written, brilliantly read, I loved it
I thought I would never finish a whole audio book, usually I get distracted when I'm not engaged in reading myself. However I found this book captivating, very cleverly broken up so there wasn't long stretches of sadness or flippancy at the subject matter, well balanced and yet surprising enough to keep me invested. I also found the narrator perfect for this book. The style of personal observations combined with a (different) personal history really suited narration and the accent etc lent authenticity plus the narrator just seemed to have a great understanding of the way it was intended. After hearing a few great books turned into train wrecks by a bad choice of narrator this was excellent casting in my opinion.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-07-2021
A beautifully told story of a beautifully sad life
an immaculate story that touched on so many heartfelt and delicate topics. From family, gender, class, sexuality, mental illness and strength, this book really touches the soul.
there were a few times I was so deeply saddened by the tale.
highly recommended.
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