Oct 02, 2017 the trauma cleaner is a oneofakind pseudobiography about sandra pankhurst, whos been working as a trauma cleaner for over twenty years. The trauma cleaner by sarah krasnostein 9781925498523 dymocks. And the proprietor, sandra pankhurst, could fill a book with the stories she encounters as she wipes, and bags and cleans. The trauma cleaner is also an act of love by a writer whose empathy for and devotion to sandra pankhurst, her subject, runs deep for reasons she slowly reveals.
Oct 30, 2017 the trauma cleaner by readbook 30 october 2017 before she was a trauma cleaner, sandra pankhurst was many things husband and father, drag queen, gender reassignment patient, sex worker, small businesswoman, trophy wifeabut as a little boy, raised in violence and excluded from the family home, she just wanted to belong. Nov 28, 2019 the trauma cleaner is no ordinary trauma narrative. A readers introduction to the trauma cleaner sandra pankhurst is the vital centre of this. Sarah krasnosteins the trauma cleaner inverts this common literary problem. We cannot always eliminate what is bad or broken or lost but we can do. One womans extraordinary life in the business of death, decay, and disaster is the fascinating biography of one of the people responsible for tidying up homes in the wake of naturaland unnaturalcatastrophes and fatalities homicides and suicides, fires and floods, hoarders and addicts. Learning about her tumultuous life happens as sarah accompanies sandra and her stc team on cleaning jobs. The book, in author sarah krasnosteins words, is itself a trauma cleaning with words as disinfectants.
The trauma cleaner is one of the most unexpected books. Her first book, the trauma cleaner, won the victorian prize for literature and the prize for nonfiction in the 2018 victorian premiers literary awards as well as the australian book industry award for general nonfiction. The trauma cleaner by sarah krasnostein 9781925498523. The trauma cleaner, winner of the 2018 dobbie literary award. So when i found out sandra pankhurst was talking at. A superbly written book about the redoutbable sandra pankhurst and her work as a trauma cleaner this is the startling life story of pankhurst, a trans woman with a heart the size of uluru, written in krasnosteins irresistibly warm, frank, intelligent voice as she describes sites of sadness and horror that take the reader straight to. Mary davis and her fellow book club members in sw portland oregon who made this replica of sandra pankhurst for their book club meeting whilst reading the trauma cleaner. Mar 29, 2018 buy the trauma cleaner by sarah krasnostein isbn. The trauma cleaner is a oneofakind pseudobiography about sandra pankhurst, whos been working as a trauma cleaner for over twenty years. The trauma cleaner is one of the most unexpected books the judging panel has read. Before she was a trauma cleaner, sandra pankhurst was many things. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Two crackers to kick off our 2018 abc radio adelaide book club. The trauma cleaner is no ordinary trauma narrative. 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 societys most inneed people. The trauma cleaner goodreads meet your next favorite book. An evening with the trauma cleaner paper petrol svbtle. While it does discuss trauma cleaning, this book is much more than that its about sandras pankhurst life, which has had more ups and downs than most of us can even imagine. Strangely, given its slightly heavier subject matter, sarah krasnostein s the trauma cleaner. An extraordinarily impressive debut, in terms of both quality of writing and treatment of the subject matter, the trauma cleaner is an exploration of the. It tells stories we never hear about those who live on, below, and under, the margins of sanity and of society of a woman whose job it is to wade through the mire of a hoarders house, and work with them so they can attempt to bring some order into their lives. The trauma cleaner is the first book by americanborn author, lecturer and researcher, sarah krasnostein. A few months ago we read the trauma cleaner by sarah krasnostein in our book club. It is the care with which sarah krasnostein addresses these challenges that makes her debut book the trauma cleaner text publishing such an anomalous, indelible treasure. It contains elements of true crime as subject sandra pankhurst cleans up the aftermath of traumatic events such as murders and suicides but its also the story of sandra and her unique journey. One womans extraordinary life in the business of death, decay, and disaster is the fascinating biography of one of the people responsible for tidying up homes in the wake of natural.
The chapters alternate between sandras personal story and those of a few of her clients. The trauma cleaner by sarah krasnostein better reading. The trauma cleaner the christmasnew year break contains but two priorities for me. Six of the eight visits feature hoarders or squalor. A book that defies easy categorisation,the trauma cleaner is a remarkable story that makes for perfect book club reading. A superbly written book about the redoutbable sandra pankhurst and her work as a trauma cleanerthis is the startling life story of pankhurst, a trans woman with a heart the size of uluru, written in krasnosteins irresistibly warm, frank, intelligent voice as she describes sites of sadness and horror that take the reader straight to. The former is that the book is the biography of sandra, whose work concentrates on cleaning premises that range from sites of hoarding to crime. The trauma cleaner, winner of the 2018 dobbie literary.
Apr 28, 2020 the trauma cleaner is one of the most unexpected books the judging panel has read. Krasnostein, an australian legal academic, profiles transgender trauma cleaner sandra pankhurst in this intriguing but vexing debut biography. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the prize rewards exceptional works of literature that illuminate the many ways that health, medicine and illness touch our lives. Sandra is the founder of specialised trauma cleaning services pty ltd. She hopes this book will cleanse a little trauma from sandras life through the very act of telling her story. The trauma cleaner mind, the mental health charity. Sandra pankhurst founded her trauma cleaning business to help. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the trauma cleaner. The trauma cleaner readers guide on tuesday 18 march the wellcome book prize announced the shortlist of six books for the 2019 prize. Krasnostein details each site with tragic if repetitive effect, but rarely convincingly ties. A superbly written book about the redoutbable sandra pankhurst and her work as a trauma cleanerthis is the startling life story of pankhurst, a trans woman with a heart the size of uluru, written in krasnosteins irresistibly warm, frank, intelligent voice as she describes sites of sadness and horror that take the reader straight to the dark heart of the human condition.
All too often in nonfiction, the reader comes to the end of a book and is left thinking it would have worked better as an essay. Sarah lives in melbourne and spends part of the year working in new york city. It is the biography of a transwoman from australia, the service trauma cleaners provide, the humanity of people we too often leave on the margins, and the resiliency of the human spirit. The trauma cleaner by sarah krasnostein boomerang books. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the prize rewards exceptional works of literature that illuminate the many ways. Oct 02, 2017 her first book, the trauma cleaner, won the victorian prize for literature and the prize for nonfiction in the 2018 victorian premiers literary awards as well as the australian book industry award for general nonfiction. Born out of a 2014 longform essay, the books subject is sandra pankhurst, a sixtysomething woman from. Nov 23, 2018 a book that defies easy categorisation,the trauma cleaner is a remarkable story that makes for perfect book club reading. Recently, the mystic arts of erasing all signs of death was popping up in discussion, and i had been toying with a reread until.
Pankhurst runs a small business cleaning homes marred by. The trauma cleaner ebook by sarah krasnostein rakuten kobo. This book provided me some much needed perspective on trans people a group that is sadly maligned far too often. Winner of the victorian prize for literature, sarah krasnosteins the trauma cleaner. One womans extraordina ry life in the business of death, decay, and disaster is the fascinating biography of one of the people responsible for tidying up homes in the wake of natural. On the face of it, the trauma cleaner, which offers a window into a little known area of life, already sounds like an interesting read. Sandras business involves going to the home of hoarders. Born out of a 2014 longform essay, the books subject is sandra pankhurst, a sixtysomething woman from melbournes outer suburbs.
So she made a clean break and began dancing in clubs in st kilda. One womans extraordinary life in the business of death, decay, and disaster is the fascinating biography of one of the people responsible for tidying up homes in the wake of naturaland unnaturalcatastrophes and fatalities. On tuesday 18 march the wellcome book prize announced the shortlist of six books for the 2019 prize. Apr 10, 2018 winner of the victorian prize for literature, sarah krasnosteins the trauma cleaner. A big thank you to mary davis and her fellow book club members in sw portland oregon who made this replica of sandra pankhurst for their book club meeting whilst reading the trauma cleaner. But what i didnt know was that they also deal with many living clients. She is a law lecturer and researcher with a doctorate in criminal law. But as a little boy, raised in violence and excluded from the family home, she just wanted to belong. The trauma cleaner of the title has experienced her own traumas of many different. Stay healthy, keep clean, be tidy and wash your hands because, as youll see in sarah krasnosteins new book the trauma cleaner, messy life, messy house. The trauma cleaner audiobook, by sarah krasnostein.
The trauma cleaner is the extraordinary true story of an extraordinary person dedicated to making order out of chaos with compassion, revealing the common ground sandra pankhurstand everyoneshares with those struck by tragedy. Jun 27, 2018 the trauma cleaner is a beautifully written story about sandra pankhurst, owner of specialized trauma cleaning services stc in australia. She first met sandra pankhurst, founder of specialised trauma cleaning services, at a conference. Join sarah krasnostein, author of one of the most talked about books of 2017 in conversation with muses own nikki anderson. Homicides and suicides, fires and floods, hoarders and addicts. The trauma cleaner the trauma cleaner audiobook, by sarah krasnostein. After spotting books by grossman, frankle and charriere among the. The trauma cleaner is a beautifully written story about sandra pankhurst, owner of specialized trauma cleaning services stc in australia. The trauma cleaner by readbook 30 october 2017 before she was a trauma cleaner, sandra pankhurst was many things husband and father, drag queen, gender reassignment patient, sex worker, small businesswoman, trophy wifeabut as a little boy, raised in violence and excluded from the family home, she just wanted to belong. Her first book, the trauma cleaner, won the victorian prize for literature and the prize for nonfiction in the victorian premiers literary awards 2018. Home fire by kamila shamsie and the trauma cleaner by sarah krasnostein. Mar 12, 2020 a superbly written book about the redoutbable sandra pankhurst and her work as a trauma cleanerthis is the startling life story of pankhurst, a trans woman with a heart the size of uluru, written in krasnosteins irresistibly warm, frank, intelligent voice as she describes sites of sadness and horror that take the reader straight to the dark heart of the human condition. The kernel of a great idea was certainly there but it wasnt necessarily worthy of 90,000 odd words.
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