The setting of The Rent Collector is developed as a major player in the story. A young Cambodian woman, her husband and ill son are living in the real world of the poorest of the poor. A Cambodian dump. Their lives and that of The Rent Collector\'s become entwined. They become the teacher and student. Our heroine blossoms and thrives through the ugliness that daily sustains her. She is a survivor and the reader is rooting for her success and the life of her mentor who is guiding her through the maze of a new world of words and beauty.
I highly recommend reading The Rent Collector. It\'s a treasure.