The Rent Collector - by Camron Wright (Paperback)

About the Book

Sang Ly struggles to survive by picking through garbage in Cambodia's largest municipal dump. Under threat of eviction by an embittered old drunk who is charged with collecting rents from the poor of Stung Meanchey, Sang Ly embarks on a desperate journey to save her ailing son from a life of ignorance and poverty.

Book Synopsis

Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not really working. Just when things seem most bleak, Sang Ly learns a secret about the hated, ill-tempered woman, the "the rent collector"-she can read! Reluctantly she agrees to teach Sang Ly and does so with the same harshness she applied to her collection duties until they both learn how literacy has the power to instill hope and transcend circumstance.Based on a true story, set in the abject poverty of Cambodia against the backdrop of political oppression and the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge.

Review Quotes

Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Gold Award-- "ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Gold Award" (1/1/2012 12:00:00 AM)

Great Southwest Book Festival Honorable Mention-- "Great Southwest Book Festival Honorable Mention"

Nominated for the International Impac Dublin Literacy Award
-- "Nominated for the International Impac Dublin Literacy Award"

Utah Book Award Finalist 2014-- "Utah Book Award Finalist" (1/1/2014 12:00:00 AM)

Whitney Awards Best General Fiction Novel 2012-- "Whitney Awards Best General Fiction Novel" (1/1/2012 12:00:00 AM)

"The written word offers hope for a brighter future in Wright's fact-based new novel. Wright's book...shimmers."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Through Sang Ly and the rent collector, readers will discover a wealth of insights: the lingering ravages of war, the common bonds of humanity, and the uplifting power of literature."-- "School Library Journal"

"Working as "pickers," Sang Ly and her husband, Ki Lim, earn their living by sifting through the trash at Stung Meanchey, Cambodia's large city dump...An unlikely friendship blossoms between the two women, and Sang Ly learns that the Rent Collector's gruff exterior hides unspeakable personal tragedies and a life shattered by the Khmer Rouge. Undergirding Sang Ly's literary journey is the support and care of the Stung Meanchey community, illustrating how beauty can be found in even the ugliest of places. Drawn from the real lives of the residents of Stung Meanchey, this is a beautifully told story about the perseverance of the human spirit and the importance of standing up for what is right. This inspirational multicultural story will strike a chord with teen readers."-- "Booklist"

About the Author

Camron Wright is the author of the international bestseller Letters for Emily. It was a Reader's Choice award winner, as well as a selection of the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. He holds a master's degree in writing and public relations. Camron lives with his wife, Alicyn, in Utah. They are the parents of four children.