<p><b>Written in precise, elegant prose, Garth Greenwell's <i>Cleanness</i> is an almost unbearably poignant book about a man whose life, like so many, has been transformed by the discovery and loss of love.</b><br><br><b>‘This is an exceptional work of fiction, which places Greenwell among the very best contemporary novelists’ – <i>The i</i></b><br><br>Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, stirs with hope and impending upheaval. Soviet buildings crumble, unrelenting winds lash the city, political protesters flood the streets with song.<br><br>Amid this disquiet, a young American teacher prepares to leave the place he’s come to call home. In a reflective mood, heightened by his imminent departure, he grapples with the intimate encounters that have marked his years abroad, each revealing startling insights about what it means to seek connection: with those we love, with the p
