The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar

Thrity Umrigar in her book, The Story Hour, tells the story of two women whose paths cross in the most unusual way.  Lakshmi, an Indian immigrant trapped in a loveless marriage to a cruel man, comes to meet Maggie, a hospital psychologist,  when she tries to commit suicide.  Doctor and patient soon develop a relationship.  It is not a friendship per se, but it is pivotal to both their lives. Both women suffer from extreme loneliness. Lakshmi was forced to leave her family in India; Maggie lost her mother to cancer and her father because he could not live up to her needs.  In the beginning of this relationship it is Maggie who leads Lakshmi toward independence and self esteem, but as the story progresses the roles seem to switch.  Maggie's insecurities and flaws cause her to tear apart her own family.  It is Lakshmi who then comes in to help repair the damage.  Umrigar uses the one hour therapy sessions, the story hour, to unveil these interesting and touching women.  We come to know them in this intimate setting and we quickly see they are just like all of us "more than our ... sin."  The lesson we learn is that we all are worthy of the hope we have in each other and of a better, happier future.

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright is a story of second chances.  Set in the most deplorable location, the story unfolds in the largest municipal dump in Cambodia where hundreds of people live and work scratching through the garbage looking for anything they can recycle and sell.  It is a day to day existence with peril at every turn from giant bull dozers to fire.  The story revolves around two women who begin their journey together in a most unexpected way.  Sang Ly has to confess to the ill tempered, alcoholic rent collector, Sopeap, that she does not have money for this month's rent because she had to take her chronically ill baby for expensive medicine.  It is only by sheer coincidence that this vile woman happen so see a book that Sang Ly's husband has brought home from the dump.  Sopeap reveals that she is more than an illiterate drunk; she can read and Sang Ly bargains with her for the book -- teach me to read.  And, of course, learning to read leads to discussions of literature and this changes everything.  The women work together to reach renewal and redemption.   The works of literature they study together range from Cinderella to Moby Dick but all lead to an important life lesson.  "Stories that change your nature, stories that cause you to become a better person from their telling--these stories always contain truth."  This was a life affirming, uplifting allegory of all our lives.  You will come away feeling amazed at the magic revealed through the works of a story.