Review by serendipitysbooks - Clean

serendipitysbooks 's review for:

Clean by Alia Trabucco Zerán

4.5

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Clean is a Chilean novel that I read for Women in Translation Month. At the beginning, we learn that Estela is 40, grew up in the countryside, but moved to Santiago 7 years easier to find work. She took position as a housemaid and nanny. Now Julia, the girl she cared for, is dead, and Estela sits alone in a cell addressing the police whom she assumes are listening. I found Estela's voice compelling, frequently fierce, sometimes plaintive and always insightful, and thought the narrative style, addressed to the unseen listener and thus the reader, an engaging hook. What Estela knows or is prepared to reveal about Julia's death (Was it an accident ? Or foul play? Or suicide?) is, in many ways, the least interesting part of the novel. What captured me was Estela's account of her time as a maid in the household, the family dynamics including the relationship between husband and wife and between parents and child, the class and power dynamics between her and her employers, and what her experiences reveal about the value assigned to traditional "women's work". Some may find the ending unsatisfying, but I liked it for its ambiguity and discussability. My attention never wandered, and I was left with plenty to think about. In other words, this book was a winner for me.

Content Warnings