This might be one of my favorite books so far this year. Set in modern day Cambodia, there are universal truths for all people despite where we live. Sang Ly is a devoted wife and a mother to an ailing baby. She has great neighbors and her husband is supportive. The catch is that they live, literally, in the dump. One day she finds out that her acerbic and contentious rent collector can read, so she asks if she can be taught in order to get a better life for her son. Sang Ly isn't sure how it will help, but she's determined it will in some way. As Sang Ly learns to read, she also learns what should and should not determine joy and happiness. For what I thought was going to be a drag down heavy-hearted book turned out to uplift me despite many bumps. And then, to find out that a lot of it really happened! Oh, my stars!!!
On a side note, I also read Never Fall Down about the Khmer Rouge. It was a good background for me to understand many of the references to this book.