Sang Ly and her husband, Ki Lim, life in the largest municipal dump in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Yes, they live at the dump. They scrap together a living by pulling things from the dump that can be resold. One day, a picture book is found and brought home and that changes the lives of Sang Ly, her family, and some of her friends. It also changes the life of "The Cow," the unpleasant woman who comes around to collect the rent from those living in the dump.
I really don't want to give away any part of this story as the way it unfolds had me completely captivated. The only thing I will say is that the voice of Sang Ly wasn't how I would imagine the voice of someone illiterate. I also wonder in which ways Sang Ly's life intersected with the mainstream culture of Phnom Penh. She seemed more worldly than what I would expect from someone living in a dump. Those could just be my prejudices, though, although I have seen that as a common complaint about the novel.
I knew little about Phnom Penh prior to reading this book. I knew the Viet Kong were there during the Vietnam War. I recognized the term Khmer Rouge, but really wasn't sure what that group was all about. Both of those have relevance in the storyline.
I still think my favorite of the three novels was Letters for Emily, but this one was a very close second. I'd highly recommend it.
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