What happens when good intentions collide with hard truths—and two women from different worlds dare to build something better? Claire has wealth, time, and a growing sense that her life needs purpose. Erica has boots-on-the-ground experience, a fire for justice, and a career on the brink. When their worlds collide at a Portland homeless encampment—Claire doling out gourmet sandwiches and twenties, Erica shutting her down—it sparks a confrontation neither of them expected… and a partnership that could change everything. Not Quite Home is a sharp, heartfelt novel about privilege, politics, and the power of unlikely alliances. As Claire and Erica join forces to help ten unhoused women start over, they face fierce opposition—from neighbors, city officials, and even their own pasts. But in the mess of broken systems and buried secrets, something extraordinary begins to grow: hope. For fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Anne Tyler, Temple Lentz delivers a timely, fearless debut about building community, rewriting the rules, and finding home in unexpected places. About the Author Temple Lentz is a nonprofit CEO and former local elected official. She has lived mostly in central Ohio, Chicago, and the Pacific Northwest. This is her first book. Praise for Not Quite Home “How can a book about homelessness, substance addiction and domestic violence be a page turner and life affirming and informative? Yet that is exactly what Not Quite Home is. It has a suspenseful plot with characters you care deeply about. …[F]rankly, everyone in America should read this book.” —Denny Heck, Lieutenant Governor of Washington State and former Member of Congress “Temple Lentz has crafted characters so authentically flawed and familiar that we can’t help but see ourselves in them, regardless of where we come from.” —Alexia Vernon, author and CEO, Step into Your Moxie “[A] novel of powerful literary skill, compassion, and purposeful insight.” —Jenny Forrester, author of Narrow River, Wide Sky: A Memoir and Love: The Art of Cherishing the World Temple Lentz is a nonprofit CEO and former local elected official. She has lived mostly in central Ohio, Chicago, and the Pacific Northwest. This is her first book.