The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

Sang Ly lives in Stung Meanchey, the city dump outside of the capitol city of Cambodia, with her husband and small child.  She blames the conditions for the continuing illness of her son but can't imagine how her family would ever be able to leave.  A constant thorn in her life is the mean old woman, Sopeap who collects the rent.  One day Sang Ly was sharing the pictures in a book with her son although she could not read the words.  Sopeap takes the book and tearfully reads it.  Sang Ly offers a trade.  Sopeap can have the book if she teaches Sang Ly to read.  Sopeap is not who she appears to be and Sang Ly is about to become someone she could never have imagined.  Full of both western literary references and Cambodian mythology, there are many stories within this story.  Based on real life experiences and observations by the author's son, it is a tale both horrifying and hopeful but mostly about the power of words.