The Rent Collector

Although The Rent Collector is fiction, the inspiration for this book is the documentary film "River of Victory". The story is set in Cambodia just after the decline of the Khmer Rouge regime. The two main characters, Sang Ly and her husband live in Stung Meanchey, a garbage dump, and to survive they pick through truckloads of trash everyday, looking for things they can sell.

As you can imagine, the dump is filthy and dangerous, and life is uncertain. Sang Ly's young son Nisays' health suffers from living in these conditions and gang violence is a heartbeat away. Sounds grim, but surprisingly enough the message running through this story is one of hope, determination and redemption. Sang Ly wants a better life for her son and she is convinced that the path to this dream is learning to read. As an avid reader, I loved this. I loved that the author highlighted the power of reading. Recommend for book clubs and Historical Fiction fans.