The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster Audiobook, by Sarah Krasnostein Play Audiobook Sample

The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster Audiobook

The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster Audiobook, by Sarah Krasnostein Play Audiobook Sample
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Read By: Rachael Tidd Publisher: Blackstone Publishing Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 6.17 hours at 1.5x Speed 4.63 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: April 2018 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9781538588451

Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

19

Longest Chapter Length:

51:55 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

01:40 minutes

Average Chapter Length:

29:19 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

1

Publisher Description

Before she was a trauma cleaner, Sandra Pankhurst was many things: husband and father, drag queen, gender reassignment patient, sex worker, small businesswoman, trophy wife. But as a little boy, raised in violence and excluded from the family home, she just wanted to belong. Now she believes her clients deserve no less.

A woman who sleeps among garbage that she has not put out for forty years. A man who quietly bled to death in his living room. A woman who lives with rats, random debris, and terrified delusion. The still life of a home vacated by accidental overdose.

Sarah Krasnostein has watched the extraordinary Sandra Pankhurst bring order and care to these, the living and the dead―and the book she has written is equally extraordinary. Not just the compelling story of a fascinating life among lives of desperation, this is also an affirmation that, as isolated as we may feel, we are all in this together.

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"WOW! What a story! Sarah Pankhurst was dealt a shit hand from the day she was born. She has a perseverance that is an untiring effort picked herself up after each time life knocked her down. Her positive attitude and determination are admirable. "Try and fail but don’t fail to try" and "If you're going to do a job be the best at that job no matter what profession you choose". The author clearly has compassion and admiration for Sarah and the research towards this book was very thorough. I felt the dialog at times is too academic and didn't suit the story telling. Regardless I could not stop listening to this story of Sandra Pankhurst, she has a heart bigger than this universe! "

— Sharon (5 out of 5 stars)

Quotes

  • “A transgender former prostitute cleans up the fetid houses of the psychotic, the hopeless and the murdered. Sounds like some dubious TLC special, but it’s a fascinating bio of Sandra Pankhurst…Revelatory.”

    — People
  • “A one-of-a-kind biography…[Pankhurst] most valuable of her services—the nonjudgmental respect and compassion she shows to clients living and dead.”

    — New York Times
  • “Playful yet heartfelt…one of the most arresting works of biography you will read in a long time.”

    — Guardian (Sydney)
  • “This fascinating Australian book…[is] a story that deserves a wider audience…Pankhurst’s warmth and compassion makes this the rare feel-good true crime book.”

    — CrimeReads
  • “Rachael Tidd’s voice shines in Sandra’s quick snippets of dialogue, bringing her to life in that special way only audiobooks can.”

    — BookRiot (audio review)
  • “Absolutely stunning.”

    — PopSugar
  • “Through countless encounters with the fetid, the neglected, and the downright tragic, Parkhurst has found meaning and peace, and Krasnostein a singular subject whom she approaches with well-deserved awe.”

    — Booklist (starred review)
  • “An extraordinarily impressive debut, in terms of both quality of writing and treatment of the subject matter…Krasnostein handles her material with respect, grace, and compassion.”

    — Sydney Morning Herald
  • "[Pankhurst’s] story is probably one of the most touching, thoughtful, and thought-provoking you will ever read…Sarah Krasnostein tells it with moving compassion, even love.”

    — New Zealand Herald
  • “A wondrous portrait of an inspiring character.”

    — Saturday Paper (Australia)
  • "Krasnostein’s candid depiction and Tidd’s unflinching, yet loving, voice invite listeners to follow Sandra Pankhurst’s extraordinary transformation.”

    — Booklist (audio review)
  • “A life-affirming symphony composed of notes plucked from the detrius of everyday existence. Deeply humane in its execution, Sandra’s story will move you, challenge you, and continually delight you.”

    — Bram Presser, author of The Book of Dirt
  • “Within the pages of The Trauma Cleaner Krasnostein has given us an extraordinary gift of humanity, life, and determination while carefully guiding us through the unspeakable conditions in which people find themselves in the face of trauma. Through sublime writing, Sarah Krasnostein expertly renders an unforgettable portrait of Sandra, one of the most compelling people I have ever read. I found myself constantly walking the line between frustration and utter love for this woman and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her and the life she has lived. Krasnostein is a master storyteller of creative nonfiction and I am in awe.“

    — Sarah Schmidt, author of See What I Have Done

Awards

  • Winner of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Nonfiction
  • Winner of the Australian Book Industry Award for General Nonfiction
  • A New York Times Pick of True Crime Summer Reads
  • An ALA Listen List for Outstanding Audiobook Narration
  • Shortlisted for the 2019 Wellcome Trust Book Prize
  • Shortlisted for Australia's National Biography Award for 2019
  • An iBooks bestseller in Biographies & Memoirs
  • A BookRiot Pick of Best Audiobooks out of Australia
  • A Crime Reads Pick of Thrillers for Domestic-Suspense Lovers

The Trauma Cleaner Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 3.33333333333333 out of 53.33333333333333 out of 53.33333333333333 out of 53.33333333333333 out of 53.33333333333333 out of 5 (3.33)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 1
3 Stars: 2
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Narration: 3.66666666666667 out of 53.66666666666667 out of 53.66666666666667 out of 53.66666666666667 out of 53.66666666666667 out of 5 (3.67)
5 Stars: 1
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 2
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Story: 4.33333333333333 out of 54.33333333333333 out of 54.33333333333333 out of 54.33333333333333 out of 54.33333333333333 out of 5 (4.33)
5 Stars: 1
4 Stars: 2
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5 Narration Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5 Story Rating: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " I had expected this book to be about gores of trauma cleaning. It turned out to be so much more. And unexpectedly better. Loved the characters and felt so much respect for Sandra. "

    — Linda, 2/9/2023
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Story Rating: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " I found this audio book interesting yet not what i expected it to be , i thought it was more on actual crime scene cleaning , but i was mistaken and more on the people who actually do the cleaning , it takes one hell of a person to do the most god awful things to make our world sane again "

    — Ian, 12/10/2018
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Narration Rating: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 Story Rating: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Its an ok listen too , but its mundane at times but I wouldn't run out to buy it if I saw it at a store "

    — Ian, 12/8/2018

About Sarah Krasnostein

Sarah Krasnostein is a writer and a lawyer with a PhD in criminal law. A fourth generation American and a third generation Australian, she has lived and worked in both countries.

About Rachael Tidd

Rachael Tidd is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.