teacher. bookseller. writer.
Tina Ontiveros is the author of rough house
a memoir of family, addiction, joy, and adventure set in the rural spaces of the Pacific Northwest. Ontiveros follows her logger father as he migrates across his wooded territory, cobbling together shelters for his family, burning bridges, and forever starting over.
author Keenan Norris says rough house is "a book that hooks its reader and then fully justifies that initial interest," and Deborah Reed says rough house is "reminiscent of Carver if Carver had given a voice to the women and children faced with the troubles and misdeeds of men." rough house confirms our shared humanity and reminds us that sometimes, pain can make us mighty.
winner of a 2021 Pacific Northwest Book Award. 20 weeks on the PNBA Bestseller’s List.
an October 2020 Indie Next Great Read. watch the book trailer.
"You will be converted to a new view of your own troubles. You will look at your own life through the lens of this book"
-Kim Stafford, author of Singer Come from Afar