‘Clean Sweep: A Novel’ by E. B. Lee is a modern fiction story focused on family and community set amongst the homeless in New York. The story develops gradually, we learn more about Carli Morris, her desire to give back now she's retired and her loss-filled past. The plotline develops gradually, as Carli’s time helping those on the streets leads to her own gut-wrenching revelations. As you read, you get to know and learn to love each of the characters in ‘Clean Sweep’. We’re walking side by side with Carli as she works to make a connection with each person in order to try and get them inside and any support they need. I enjoyed the pace of the plot as it gives you time with a fully formed cast of characters. There are questions that need to be answered in this book, but it does so at it’s own pace as opposed to being a frantic mystery to be solved. As with the outreach work in the book, things take time. A serious book that focuses on the very important topic of homelessness in a way that is engaging and compassionate. This is a very worthwhile read and I would recommend it.
She couldn’t turn her back. Can you? On a midtown-Manhattan sidewalk, Carli Morris, a retired New York City advertising executive, finds the dead body of Lucy, a homeless woman, and Carli’s plans for a quiet retirement quickly change. Carli throws herself on a mission to get the defenseless off the streets. Joining an Outreach team, she slowly comes to know them, one by one, men and women in their cardboard-box homes, and comes to know herself and the vulnerability of compassion. Soon, they matter. Period. Alarmingly, Carli’s Outreach partner begins to remind her of those she meets on the streets. He also reminds her of her lost brother, Henry, which reopens the wounds of her own tragic loss and sends her on a mission to learn the truth. As Carli comes face to face with the hardships of street life and broken lives, she must dig deep to make a powerful, personal impact. She must also overcome the biggest loss and test of faith she can imagine. Clean Sweep is a dynamic literary novel with moving revelations, gut-wrenching decisions, and life-affirming transformations. Includes discussion questions for book clubs. Publication date: July 20 2021 Available in these formats: Ebook:978-1-7364560-0-2; Hardcover:978-1-7364560-2-6 Paperback:978-1-7364560-1-9 Audiobook:978-1-7364560-3-3
