What SA members are reading
In this section, you’ll find short and sweet book reviews by Editors SA members. If you’ve read something you want to tell your fellow members about, email Lauren at edsa.comms@iped-editors.org.
[Credit: Text Publishing]
The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in Death, Decay & Disaster by Sarah Krasnostein, 2017
Review by Lauren Pitman
Admittedly, I initially picked up The Trauma Cleaner thinking it would be more about trauma cleaning — cleaning done by professionals where someone has died in a house, or a property that is overrun by hoarded items. I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts and have a morbid curiosity about that type of work. The Trauma Cleaner is not that type of story, but it is an astounding tale of the trauma cleaner at the centre, Sandra Pankhurst.
Author Sarah Krasnostein gives a detailed account of Sandra Pankhurst’s complicated and often tragic life. Sandra was born ‘Peter’ and over six decades of her life to date, has lived through her own trauma and triumph, from childhood, to marriage and parenthood, to sex work, gender reassignment, and the highs and lows of running a business. Krasnostein tells Sandra’s extraordinary story with thoroughness and empathy, and a deep understanding of what it is to be human — our ambitions, flaws, successes, failures, loves and losses. Krasnostein intersperses Sandra’s story with vignettes of her time shadowing Sandra at her cleaning jobs, telling — with equal care — the stories of those whom Sandra helps.
The Trauma Cleaner is an engrossing story of one woman’s very full life deftly told with heart and powerful moments of observation.
[Credit: Hachette]
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Review by Lauren Bevilacqua
The main character is an editor (tick) and the mystery, connected to her author, unfolds through a manuscript she’s working on. A delightful tale in the spirit of Agatha Christie murder mysteries, there are plenty of references to classic crime fiction as well as clues scattered throughout. If you’re a fan of TV shows like Foyle’s War and Midsomer Murders, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this fun read.