Yaw Ofosu-Asare: No One Leaves Clean

No One Leaves Clean is a visceral portrait of Ghana at the turn of the new millennium, where dreams, betrayals, and survival unfold in the shadows of urban life. Set against the raw streets and market circles of Takoradi and Accra, this novel traces the life of a man haunted by deferred aspirations, a wife’s unrelenting desire for wealth, and the relentless weight of a nation caught between hope and disillusionment.

Blending realism with lyrical fragments and magical motifs, No One Leaves Clean captures the ghostly persistence of history in everyday rituals, political betrayals, informal economies, fleeting escapes through music, and the unspoken codes of secrecy, shame, and resilience. It is a story of masculinity undone, family bonds frayed, and identities reshaped in the crucible of Ghana’s postcolonial struggle.