My Cleaner

My Cleaner is a novel by English author Maggie Gee. It was first published in 2005 by Saqi Books and concerns racism and family life.^[1] According to Bernardine Evaristo it was her best novel to that date.^[2]

My Cleaner

First edition
Author	Maggie Gee
Language	English
Publisher	Saqi Books
Publication date	2005
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print
Pages	318
ISBN	0-86356-544-1
Followed by	My Driver

Maggie Gee visited Uganda in 2003, sponsored by the Cheltenham Literature Festival's 'Across Continents' commission and a Society of Authors grant,^[3] and the novel features many scenes set in that country. The story is continued in My Driver (2009).^[4]

Plot introduction

The story is told from the viewpoint of Vanessa Henman, an English writer, and Mary Tendo Ugandan graduate of Makerere University. Vanessa's 22-year-old son Justin refuses to get out of bed with depression. Justin asks for Mary who looked after him as a child so Vanessa writes to her. Mary returns to London to help Justin, but this time not as a cleaner...