Camron Wright

Sang Ly and her husband, Ki Lim live in Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in Cambodia with their infant son, Nisay.

Uneducated and unable to retain work that pays enough to pay for normal housing, Sang Ly and Ki Lim moved to Stung Meanchey and are "pickers," they literally pick through garbage daily in hopes to find enough good waste to sell to buy food for the day and save for their rent. Yes, they pay rent for their three-sided temporary structure made out of cardboard and tarps.

When the Cow, the name given to Sopeap Sin, the Rent Collector comes by to collect rent, Sang Ly recognizes the woman can read. Striking a bargain with Sopeap Sin, whom she will learn is a former university teacher, Sang Ly hopes that by learning to read, she can give her son, Nisay a better life.

Camron Wright has penned an incredible story about a once-real place (the living quarters of Stung Meanchey and other waste sites have been closed) and the lives these people live and their struggle to simply survive. The characters are so likable and so grateful for every tiny little thing they find and own, it is hard not to look at one's self as glutenous and short-sided.

The Rent Collector is fabulous and the tales within the story are wonderful. This book should sit on everyone's shelf.… (mehr)

I was given this book for my birthday, than it was the work book club pick of the month, so it worked out really well.

This was a great book - telling the story of Sang Ly and Ki Lim, who are garbage pickers, looking through the trash for anything that can be sold for a bit of money. They live on the outskirts of the landfill, renting their small hovel from Sopeap, a hard woman who is not forgiving. Sang Ly realizes that Sopeap can read, and convinces Sopeap to teach her - starting a relationship that grows as both women tell their stories.

I was impressed with the story - its a rare author that can tell a heartlifting story, but still shows the awfulness of the world around them. Mr. Wright doesn't shirk on how hard those who live off the landfill work - barely making enough money to survive, always in danger of those who are are willing to engage in violence to get ahead, those who will sell their own family to get a bit of money, and the chances of disease, either through getting injured while picking through garbage, or catching something communicable. Its hard life, and this book doesn't shy away from that.

As for the characters, at times, they were a bit cardboard, with Sang Ly always positive, Sopeap, always short tempered, but it doesn't matter much in this story, it works.… (mehr)

I enjoyed this story of a woman living near a garbage dump in Cambodia, trying to heal her sick son, learn how to read, and get a little ahead.

There's a sweet female friendship in this, and I appreciated that the characters were depicted as whole beings, not defined solely by their poverty.

Some of the excerpts from literature pulled me out of the story, and I wanted to hear just a bit more about Sang Li's other friendships, and the lives of her neighbors.

There are a couple uses of the d-word, and sex is alluded to, though not depicted. There are major spoilers for the book [b:Moby-Dick|153747|Moby-Dick or, the Whale|Herman Melville|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327940656l/153747._SY75_.jpg|2409320].… (mehr)