• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Goodreads

Marie Leslie

Resources for a Productive & Creative Life

  • Home
  • About
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Work With Me
    • Marketing and Growth Strategy
    • Productivity Consulting
    • Speaking and Training
  • Contact
  • Blog
You are here: Home / Books, Media & Entertainment / The Best-Selling “The Rent Collector” Now for Young Readers #Review

The Best-Selling “The Rent Collector” Now for Young Readers #Review

the rent collector header
by Marie Leslie

The Rent Collector Summary

The Rent Collector Young readers Edition by Camron Wright cover

Sang Ly lives with her husband and son at Stung Meachey, Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s city dump. She is grateful she can help support 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 to pay the rent collector, Sopeap. Sopeap is a grumpy old woman 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 dump. It could lead to a future with possibilities and hope. But the rent collector has a secret and a 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, based on a true story, is about the power of literacy, the influence of the past, and finding hope, resiliency, and empowerment in the face of seemingly endless hardship.

The Rent Collector Review

I had not read the original version of this book before receiving this advance copy, so I have no pre-conceived biases and no comparison to the original.

It took me a bit to get into it. I’m not sure why, but I’m glad I stuck with it. It is an unpredictable story, with many twists and turns, and a most satisfying ending.

Author Camron Wright does an excellent job of gradually bringing his characters to life. He also does well at weaving in the history of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge without making it too heavy handed. Those portions of the story, though, make this book a better choice for middle school and older readers, as it may be difficult for younger readers to take in.

Because of the subject matter, this would be a good book for reading as a class or reading aloud and discussing with your middle schoolers. Lessons of literacy, poverty, and life in other cultures are all important topics that this book would encourage discussing.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn some money if you click on one and make a purchase. It will not cost you any extra, and I will be grateful for your support. Read the full disclosure here.

About the Author

Author Camron Wright

Camron Wright was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has a master’s degree in Writing and Public Relations from Westminster College. He has owned several successful retail stores. In addition he worked with his wife in the fashion industry, designing for the McCall Pattern Company in New York.

Camron says he began writing to get out of attending MBA school, and it proved the better decision. His first book, Letters for Emily, was a Readers Choice Award winner. Letters for Emily has been published in North America, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Korea, the Netherlands, and China.

The Rent Collector, his second book, won Best Novel of the Year from the Whitney Awards. It was a nominee for the prestigious International DUBLIN Literary Award.

The Orphan Keeper won Book of the Year, Gold accolades in Multicultural Fiction from Foreword Reviews. Other books include The Other Side of the Bridge, Christmas by Accident, and In Times of Rain and War.

Camron lives with his wife, Alicyn, just south of Salt Lake City at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. He is the proud father of four children, all girls but three.

Buy the Book

The Rent Collector Young Readers Edition by Camron Wright is available at Amazon.com.

The Rent Collector Young Readers Edition by Camron Wright is available at DeseeretBook.com.

Buy The Rent Collector Young Readers Edition at Amazon.com
Buy The Rent Collector Young Readers Edition at DeseretBook.com
Category: Books, Media & EntertainmentTag: affiliate, Book Review
Previous Post:How to Make Work-from-Home Work for You headerHow to Make Work-from-Home Work for You
Next Post:8 Ways to Make Your Home Office More Inviting8 Ways to Make Your Home Office More Inviting

Sidebar

Looking for Something?

Marie Leslie is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases when you click on links from my website. Read our full disclosure policy here.

Access and read our Privacy Policy here.

Follow Us

Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Pinterest Follow us on Instagram

Follow Me

  • Facebook
  • Goodreads
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Etsy
  • Amazon

Navigation

Home

Blog

About

Contact


MarieLeslie.com is an Amazon associate and earns income from qualifying purchases. This means if you click on a link to buy something I may receive a commission from your purchase, though you will not pay more. For more information, find our disclosure here.

Copyright © 2023 · Marie Leslie · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme