Cathy C. (cathyskye) - , reviewed on 4/9/2018 + 2307 more book reviews

As a result of many of the things that have happened to Sandra throughout her life, she didn't remember all the details of what happened to her. Krasnostein's conversations with her and following her to job sites helped put many of the pieces together. Sandra's story is told in alternating chapters, one of a segment in her own life story, then one of her at job sites dealing with various clients. This isn't a story of the scientific cleaning of crime scenes; The Trauma Cleaner is a story of human connections, of proving that we are all in this together no matter how isolated we may feel.

This is definitely the type of book to read when you're moping around thinking, "Why me?" Very few of us have had the sort of soul-searing life Sandra Pankhurst has had, and to watch her deal with the most recalcitrant clients with her own special brand of common sense, understanding, and compassion is a joy. Krasnostein's writing is perfect for this type of story: "But it is equally the ineffable smell of defeat, of isolation, of self-hate. Or, more simply, it is the smell of pain." Pain does indeed have a smell, and it's one that Sandra Pankhurst does not ignore. If only the rest of us followed her example.

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