A review by musingsbymichelle
Clean by Alia Trabucco Zerán

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

4.5

 

A book that once you start you won't want to put down. This is a fast-paced, bleak story told from the point-of-view of Estela, a housemaid and nanny to a wealthy family in Chile as she recounts her life leading up to the death of the young girl of the family she cares for. For the setting, Estela is telling this story from an interrogation room. 

 

Last year, I read Alia Trabucco Zerán non-fiction book "Women Who Kill" which was also translated by Sophie Hughes. The last story in this book is about a maid who murdered the children she looked after and their grandmother so I was curious to see if the author would draw inspiration from it. Without giving away any spoilers, I would say she does, but this novel is a departure from that true story. 

 

Through Estela's narrative you get an example of unequal class and power dynamics that I found beautifully written. I was left thinking about so much— how material things can't compensate for love and affection, how service people can go unacknowledged or treated as less than, and what equates to our sense of freedom and equality. I loved this book and highly recommend it especially if you’re looking for a translated work to read this year! 

 

CW: for the death of the child previously mentioned and there is a death of a pet.