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 working. Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the bad-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money–a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one woman’s journey to save her son and another woman’s chance at redemption.
I read this book a few weeks ago and couldn’t stop to review it as my head was swimming inside this fabulous story while analyzing the power of the written word. This book should be a must read for all high schoolers! Mr. Wright did a phenomenal job of bringing real life people into a fictional story that was as heart-wrenching to read as it was incredibly beautiful. The main character was a superhero of her time with an incredible spirit. She never lost her sense of humor or her truths about the life she lives bring her down. This book and its message clearly carry hope and truly brings forth the idiom someone’s trash is someone else’s treasure!
Quotes I liked:
While almost everything that surrounds us in life gets old and wears out, stories, like our very souls, don’t age.”
– “But as a wise and great teacher once explained so patiently, all good stories – stories that touch your soul, stories that change your nature, stories that cause you to become a better person from their telling-these stories always contain truth.”
-“While almost everything that surrounds us in life gets old and wears out, stories, like our very souls, don’t age.”
– “Child, unless you are opening a dictionary, you start at the book’s opening page and you read the story through. If it’s terribly dreadful, then just put it down and move on. What I will not tolerate is reading ahead. It’s not fair to the reader or to the author. If they meant to have their books read backwards, they would surely have written them that way!”
– “ But literature is unique. To understand literature, you read it with your head, but you interpret it with your heart. The two are forced to work together- and, quite frankly, they often don’t get along.”
-“I don’t know if it becomes literature…I just know the two added words cause me to look at the ordinary sentences differently. And quite honestly, I find that to be magical!”
I,too, loved the book and as a co-leader of our Colorado book club I chose it for our February read. Just this morning I ordered the documentary that the writer’s son produced, I hope it arrives before our club meets. So far, everyone I have recommended the book to has felt the same as I do. Of course with a club as large as ours, I’m sure there will be some differing opinions. I am so glad to have read it, thanks to your suggestion.
Nancy, so glad you read the book. It’s truly a great read and I learned quite a bit. The author does call ins, so if you haven’t had your meeting, maybe he can Skype during some of it!
Book Review:Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff was another compelling book inspired by the true stories of the brave souls who risked everything to save themselves and others from the death camps during WW2. Having the story take place in Belgium was a plus for me, as it was a new setting that I wasn’t familiar with. This book is told by the three main POVs: Hannah, Lily and Micheline. This structure worked well as it was during the same time-period. Each woman was quite distinct, so I never got confused between the three. Of all the women however, I was most interested in Micheline and her role in the Sapphire Line. She could have her own book!I really appreciated the impeccable research employed by the author. She brought many real stories to life, as well as fictionalizing some of the story to support the facts. Through works like these, we feel the pain and injustices that occurred. It made me grateful for those in history that worked as resistors against the Nazis. @pamjenoff @parkrowbooks 📘: What is your favorite gemstone? Mine is sapphire! 💙#codenamesapphire #histfic#newbookreview#goodbookfairybookreview #booksmatter #readersmatter #addtoTBR #tbrlist#bookstagrammer#bookinfluencer#goodbookfairybookreviews #bookrecs#goodbookfairy... See MoreSee Less
Life's been busy and I'm finally setting aside some to dig into this one! Goodreads says, "Daughters is as devastating as it is hilarious, as tender and moving as it is shocking—this is a book that will stay with you long after you have turned the final pages." Thanks to @orionbooks for the gifted ARC for an honest review!📘: Can you recognize which TV show I'm watching in the background? #maybooks#harrynabrams#bookrec#bookrecommendations #booksmatter #readersmatter #booksbooksbooks#bookstagrammer#coverart #tbr #addtoTBR #goodbookfairy... See MoreSee Less
I,too, loved the book and as a co-leader of our Colorado book club I chose it for our February read. Just this morning I ordered the documentary that the writer’s son produced, I hope it arrives before our club meets. So far, everyone I have recommended the book to has felt the same as I do. Of course with a club as large as ours, I’m sure there will be some differing opinions. I am so glad to have read it, thanks to your suggestion.
Nancy, so glad you read the book. It’s truly a great read and I learned quite a bit. The author does call ins, so if you haven’t had your meeting, maybe he can Skype during some of it!