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Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite
Not Quite Home is a moving slice-of-life drama by Temple Lentz. When Erica Ford hears Claire Anderson's speech at the Portland Promise annual fundraising luncheon, she thinks the rich donor is just having an off day. Erica is one of the outreach workers who helps people with addiction, mental illness, and trauma from abuse. Despite her initial misgivings, Erica agrees to help Claire and work toward a tiny houses project that will offer shelter to ten "unhoused" women. However, they face stiff opposition from City Council members and even people from the neighborhood. As they work together, they bond with these women and come to terms with their own pasts. When the CPS takes Wendi’s children away, Claire and Erica help her fight her custody battle.
Not Quite Home is a moving story about privilege, kindness, and empathy. It sheds light on the plight of people left homeless due to a myriad of life's unfortunate circumstances. Temple Lentz draws on her own NGO background to present a grounded and nuanced take on issues that still plague society. Even with good intentions, there are significant hurdles to helping unhoused people. The author does a brilliant job of showing those challenges through a heartfelt narrative that has you engaged from beginning to end. You feel for each of these women and find yourself immersed in their stories. I loved the different character dynamics in this book. Claire and Erica's unexpected partnership, as well as Claire's bond with Wendi, were some of the novel's highlights for me. Highly recommended.
