The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

This unusual book was one of our book club's summer reading choices. We never had the meeting to discuss it, because the book turned out to be expensive and unavailable in a cheaper version. My friend Christy offered to lend me her copy. She thought I would enjoy it, and I trust her taste! She had also recommended The Glass Castle, and said that it was similar in some ways.

Although the setting is abject poverty, it didn't ring as "true" as the Glass Castle. And how could it? The author is American and the setting is a Cambodian dump. Still, there's much to be appreciated here. It's a story of struggle and of finding joy in learning. I certainly relate to the opening chapter when the main character, Sang Ly, quotes a Chinese proverb: The most difficult battles in life are those we fight within. Although the author is a male, his rendering of his female main character is sensitive. I like how he made her thinking visible, so we could sense her struggle. I liked how her growing education was revealed in her thinking and actions. It was also enjoyable to "witness" the learning to read process.

Is it a great classic? A real page-turner? No. A worthy effort and an uplifting one? Yes. It definitely showed how overcoming obstacles and never giving up is admirable. It was hard, though, to "live" through the setting of the dump. Life seemed so hard. It should have made me extra grateful for my comfortable life...and I suppose it did. Sang Ly's indomitable spirit helped me return to the story, even when the setting put me off. A good summer read, but probably wouldn't choose to read it again.