When his world begins to collapse around him, Ben remembers a vision he had as a child--a vision of cool water that can wash away the grime and filth accumulated over the course of a lifetime, a vision of a glowing light that can heal and make whole--a vision of Clean. He also remembers the shadowy stranger who barred his path.
Leaving his former life behind him, Ben embarks on a journey to find Clean. Following the recommendation of a mysterious new friend, he purchases a plane ticket and travels across Britain, through a land of ancient spirituality, in search of his goal. From the standing stones of Cornwall to the highlands of Scotland, Clean is a chronicle of this journey; an adventure filled with peril, romance, enlightenment, and ultimately, a confrontation with the dark man himself.
"I always knew in my heart that it existed, but it took me a great quest, twenty years, a failed marriage, a great romance, exceeding joy and grievous suffering, to discover it. And when I finally found myself standing there, in that quiet clearing, in a tiny copse of trees, with the morning sun streaming down upon the mossy stones, there was no doubt in my heart that this was the place. I collapsed to my knees and I wept..."
Professional Reviews
Reader Views
"Ben’s becoming the Knight of the Ruined Chapel and his personal commitment to the challenge elevated his personal search for Clean to be compared to the search for the Holy Grail. This part of the story will endear Ben to the reader of the History of the Crusades. The introduction of the black knight and references to Darth Vader will make this story a favorite of Star Wars fans. I highly recommend “Clean” for any young adult looking for a good story or for those beginning a spiritual quest. I expect to see more writing from Ken Sweet. He is truly a gifted communicator."
Book Ideas
"Novels of spiritual quests are not easy to pull off, many often sounding too intimate for others to relate to, too preach for others to stomach, or too boring for anyone to care about, but Clean is a solidly told story that just happens to be about an everyman on an amazing search for his own soul, and it works well, holding our captive attention as we feel the emotions driving Ben Whyte to seek what his soul craves, even if it costs him his life. Wholeness."
Chevalier Editions
"It is a rare work, especially one as concise as Clean, that can bring together the many elements of serious fiction in one piece: the various forms of conflict (man against man, man against nature, main against himself), tangible settings, symbol, allusion, meaningful theme, nemesis, historicity, and exploration of the human condition. That Sweet has manages this in Clean without drawing attention to the manner in which this is achieved demonstrates Sweet’s deep understanding of and dedication to the craft."
The bulk of the collection is eight short stories that are set in yesteryear. The compilation is filled out with four entertaining fantasy pieces and three poems.
Sarah Thompson has ten days on Maui to find her lifetime after lifetime soulmate. She is certain he is waiting for her there on one of the last remaining land masses of Mu still above water.
London: Lashed, Lacerated, Lampooned and Lambasted satirizes 18 popular Jack London novellas with adult content and language and the work is author Jay Dubya's 37th published hardcover/paperback book.
