Clean
A Novel
by
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Chapter 1 I push the door open to find the bathroom sink glowing like a blue altar. Someone has left the light on again, and its wave of bleach spills onto the bed, which has been kicked up into white foam. You can learn a lot about a person from the way she leaves a bed. Some women make it themselves and pull the sheets so tight, they seem ashamed of their sleep. I always know they’ve been in there, though, from the tiny little hairs they leave. I know from the grit that sticks to their skin and drops away in the night. They take pride in leaving the room pristine—but no one sleeps here without a trace.
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About the Book
Ginny has already survived more than most people. Abused as a child, she now lives an isolated life as a housekeeper at the Run-Rite Inn in a small Texas town. Her closest bonds are with the rooms she cleans, which she attempts to protect from abusive guests. The inn’s devoted manager, Jake, who knows every hinge on every door and the personality of every room, encourages Ginny to think beyond dusting, vacuuming, and scrubbing. But little does she know that he has dreams beyond what the inn provides and will do just about anything to make them come true. When Ginny sees signs that human traffickers are using the inn, she struggles with her intense fear of people. As she begins to suspect that Jake is involved with the illegal operation, she hesitates to intervene, tempted by higher-paying work. But then a shocking discovery brings her face-to-face with her own past, leaving her with no choice but to act—even if it means turning against Jake. Clean is the gripping story of an abused housekeeper who must overcome her inner fears to help women held at a cheap motel by human traffickers.
About the Author
Laura Otis is a professor of English at Emory University. She holds a BS in biochemistry, an MA in neuroscience, a PhD in comparative literature, and an MFA in fiction. She is the author of six academic books and six novels. In 2000, she received a MacArthur Fellowship for creativity. Otis currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Joe Boris author photograph credit c 2012 www.JoeBoris.com.