What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedA Clean Mess
Tiffany Jenkins · Book
If you loved A Clean Mess, start with Soberly Speaking — a podcast on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 1 podcast, each matched to A Clean Mess across media.
What hooked you in A Clean Mess is the raw, unflinching look at the arduous journey toward reclaiming one's life through motherhood and recovery.
Films on the same thread
Sunshine Cleaning
Christine Jeffs · Film · 2008
Explores: Sisterhood, Second Chances, Single Motherhood.
Like the protagonist in A Clean Mess, the characters here navigate the messy intersection of single motherhood and the desperate, unconventional search for a second chance at stability.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Olivia Newman · Film · 2026
Explores: Grief and healing, Intergenerational friendship, Hidden secrets.
While A Clean Mess focuses on the struggle of addiction, this story mirrors the quiet, profound healing that follows personal trauma and the search for wonder after loss.
My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown
Jim Sheridan · Film · 1989
Shares a thread with A Clean Mess: Overcoming Adversity.
You will recognize the core theme of overcoming adversity found in A Clean Mess within this biographical portrait of a person defying low expectations to define their own future.
Filth
Jon S. Baird · Film · 2013
Explores: Corruption, Drug Addiction, Mental Illness.
If the visceral reality of addiction in A Clean Mess resonated with you, this film offers a darker, psychological exploration of the same struggle with substance dependency and chaos.
Series on the same thread
Mom
Eddie Gorodetsky · Series · 2013
Explores: Dysfunctional Family, Addiction Recovery, Mother-Daughter Relationship.
This series echoes the recovery narrative of A Clean Mess, specifically highlighting the complicated, humorous, and often painful reality of maintaining sobriety while raising children as a single mother.
Maid
Molly Smith Metzler · Series · 2021
Explores: Single Motherhood, Breaking the Cycle of Abuse, Resilience.
This story shares the central struggle of A Clean Mess, focusing on a mother's resilience as she attempts to break cycles of trauma to provide a future for her child.
Patrick Melrose
David Nicholls · Series · 2018
Explores: Trauma, Addiction, Upper-class dysfunction.
Just as A Clean Mess details the harrowing path to sobriety, this series examines the lifelong impact of trauma and the difficult, non-linear odyssey toward personal recovery.
Orange Is the New Black
Jenji Kohan · Series · 2013
Explores: Female Ensemble, Incarceration, Social Class.
The prison experience described in A Clean Mess finds a parallel here, exploring how women navigate identity, camaraderie, and the lasting consequences of past choices within an institutional setting.
Podcasts on the same thread
Soberly Speaking
Podcast
Shares a thread with A Clean Mess: Overcoming adversity.
If you valued the personal transformation documented in A Clean Mess, these stories provide an extension of that same inspirational mission to help others find their way out of addiction.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is A Clean Mess read by the author?
Yes, A Clean Mess is read by the author, Tiffany Jenkins. The audiobook provides a personal listening experience as she recounts her journey from incarceration to sobriety and motherhood.
How long is the audiobook for A Clean Mess?
The unabridged audiobook version of A Clean Mess has a total runtime of 7 hours and 3 minutes. This duration covers the complete narrative of the author's transition from prison to her life as a sober mother of three.
What is the subject matter of A Clean Mess?
A Clean Mess details the personal story of author Tiffany Jenkins. The book focuses on her life experiences, specifically covering her time spent incarcerated and her subsequent path toward becoming a sober mother to her three children.
Is A Clean Mess an unabridged recording?
Yes, the audiobook edition of A Clean Mess is an unabridged recording. It spans 7 hours and 3 minutes, allowing listeners to experience the full story of Tiffany Jenkins as she narrates her journey through recovery and motherhood.