This is the story of the Garrison family, who live in Lents, an outer neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. At the heart of it all, there are the three Garrison sisters: Sara, the eldest, a fiery soccer star on the precipice of pulling herself out of the life of poverty she鈥檚 always known; Elaine, shy and struggling with the weight she carries both physically and mentally; and Rachel, a reader and poet whose imagination stalls at trying to picture a better life.
As the Garrisons struggle to communicate with each other, as they battle self-doubts and self-sabotage, they too draw on a fierce shared strength that allows them to push back at the reality that鈥檚 been handed to them. Each Garrison fights to hold on to their dignity鈥攐ften through daily acts of grace and good humor, to say nothing of quiet perseverance鈥攁nd to prove to themselves and each other that they shouldn鈥檛 be underestimated.
鈥The Tigers of Lents is a rich exploration of class, neighborhood, and, especially, the bonds鈥攆rayed, inescapable鈥攐f a family through time. Traveling with the Garrison sisters is an emotionally fraught and rewarding experience, deepened by detailed evocation of place and time, as well as a soundtrack that ranges from the Pet Shop Boys to Ratt to Jelly Roll Morton. I believe in these people. I worry about and hope for them.鈥濃擯eter Rock, author, My Abandonment
鈥淓motional and detailed, a slice of life and deep exploration of place, The Tigers of Lents is an exciting read you won鈥檛 want to miss.鈥濃擜ctive Media Publishing, The Mountain Times
鈥淧omeroy has a keen eye for detail and a capacious understanding of integrity. Choices, setbacks, small but significant triumphs鈥攁ll are woven into this powerful story about the modern-day working class.鈥濃 Barbara Lloyd McMichael, Our Coast Magazine
鈥淭he Tigers of Lents a deeply satisfying read. . . . Pomeroy takes [readers] through both hard situations and difficult emotions while being careful to show the importance of human relations and the ability, at even the direst moments, to make the right decisions and find a way forward. Few novels explore the hard reality lived by Pomeroy鈥檚 characters and an increasing number of people of all colors and backgrounds in the United States today. Even fewer authors are able to do so with the skill, compassion, and attention to detail Pomeroy displays here.鈥濃擶riting the Northwest
鈥淭here is much that shimmers in The Tigers of Lents. Pomeroy鈥檚 book is an immersive read鈥攖he intertwined lives, the overarching message of hope. Nobody is perfect, nothing is perfect. This is one of those books that helps explain why.鈥濃擮regon ArtsWatch
鈥Tigers of Lents honors the dignity and decency of its heroines without romanticizing them. Pomeroy understands the endless pull of family when you begin to break away, and the gravity of both chaos and chance. . . . I don鈥檛 remember when I last read a book that so captures the rhythm of this city. How the neighborhoods connect. Where the traffic flows and the shadows fall.鈥濃擲teve Duin, The Oregonian
