Sang Ly mentions that Lucky Fat has an 'uncanny knack of finding money lost amongst the garbage.' Do you suppose someone may have been helping him by placing money for him to find? If so, who?ĥ. Sang Ly says that living at the dump is a life where 'the hope of tomorrow is traded to satisfy the hunger of today.' How might this statement also apply to those with modern homes, late-model cars, plentiful food, and general material abundance?Ĥ. Sopeap calls resurfacing plots 'perplexing' and then asks, 'Is our DNA to blame for this inherent desire to hope? Is it simply another survival mechanism? Is that why we love Sarann or Cinderella? Or is there more to it?' How would you answer? What are possible explanations for the phenomenon?ģ.

After reading Sarann (the Cambodian Cinderella), Sopeap and Sang Ly discuss how story plots repeat, reinforcing the same lessons. What role do you think luck plays in our lives? How does the idea of luck reconcile with the novel's epigraph, the quote from Buddha on the opening page?Ģ. In the opening pages of The Rent Collector, Sang Ly's grandfather promises that it will be a very lucky day. When you come to the final chapter and close this book, you will appreciate many things you took for granted.ġ.

There are many lessons to be learned and the book is full of inspiration sure to generate lots of healthy conversation. I loved that the main character, living in a dump with untold challenges, wants to learn to read. Book Club Talking Points: The resounding message throughout this book is one of hope and at the same time disbelief, that people could live in such horrible conditions. Recommend for book clubs and Historical Fiction fans. I loved that the author highlighted the power of reading. Sang Ly wants a better life for her son and she is convinced that the path to this dream is learning to read. Sounds grim, but surprisingly enough the message running through this story is one of hope, determination and redemption. Sang Ly's young son Nisays' health suffers from living in these conditions and gang violence is a heartbeat away. As you can imagine, the dump is filthy and dangerous, and life is uncertain. The two main characters, Sang Ly and her husband live in Stung Meanchey, a garbage dump, and to survive they pick through truckloads of trash everyday, looking for things they can sell.

The story is set in Cambodia just after the decline of the Khmer Rouge regime. PBR Book Review: Although The Rent Collector is fiction, the inspiration for this book is the documentary film 'River of Victory'.

The rent keeper book