Copyright Date:
2022
Edition Date:
2022
Release Date:
04/05/22
Pages:
viii, 227 pages
ISBN:
1-629-72985-X
ISBN 13:
978-1-629-72985-5
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2021045306
Dimensions:
22 cm
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
Inspired by a true story, this young readers' edition of a 2012 title for adults focuses on a family living in a large garbage dump on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.Sang Ly, the woman at the heart of the story, says, "The clock is broken, so its time never changes." This is a metaphor for her life in Stung Meanchey, where she sorts through the trash for recyclables and endures daily struggles. Sang Ly's life turns a corner when she offers Sopeap Sin, "a bitter, angry woman" who collects rent from the dump's residents for local landlords, a discarded children's book in lieu of payment. This marks the beginning of a genuine relationship between the two, a journey through language and literature. As Sang Ly haltingly learns to read from Sopeap, she becomes determined to give her ailing son an education and starts to interpret the world through the written word. In this way, she begins to take control; for his part, her husband, Ki Lim, carries a knife to defend their family from gangs. Most powerful here is the matryoshka-dollâlike format of stories within stories that highlight the power of literacy. Unfortunately, in explaining the book's context, the author's note prefacing the story asks readers, "What if you lived in a garbage dump?" and "Worse, what if you couldn't read?" which has the effect of othering the protagonists.A story of survival that is most effective when it comes to showing the power of reading. (Fiction. 9-14)
Based on true events.
Sang Ly lives at Cambodia’s city dump and is grateful she can help earn a living for her family by sifting through the trash for recyclables and things which can be repaired and sold. On a good day, she can earn enough to buy food for her family. She needs enough good days so she can pay the rent collector, Sopeap—a grumpy old woman who shows no mercy and who is willing to evict any tenant who can’t pay their rent on time.
When Sang Ly is unable to pay her rent for the month, she fears her family will have to leave the dump and their shanty home—a place where her only possessions can be carried in two hands. Little does she know that a discarded children’s book found among the mounds of trash would save her. When Sopeap sees the book lying on Sang Ly’s cardboard bed, her mood changes. Sang Ly offers her the book if she is allowed to keep her family at the dump.
An unlikely friendship develops between the two women, and Sang Ly learns that Sopeap knows how to read—something Sang Ly has always wanted to learn. Being able to read could transform Sang Ly’s world beyond the predictable confines of the dump and lead to a future with possibilities and hope.
But the rent collector has a secret and tragic past, one that will not be easy for Sang Ly to navigate. With the help of her supportive husband, Ki Lim, and a helpful and humorous boy, Lucky Fat, Sang Ly embarks on a life-changing journey to give her young son, Nisay, a better life and future.
The Rent Collector is about the power of literacy, the influence of the past, and finding hope, resiliency, and empowerment in the face of seemingly endless hardship.
Common Core
STEAM
Graphic
Novel
High/Low
Chapter
Book
Large
Print
Series Tracker
Manga
Big
Book
Board
Book
Hot
Title
Adult
Language
Mature
Content
Ebook
Ebook
MUA (Multi User Access)
Light Novel
