Come On In, Don't Get Lonesome

by Lauri Cruver Cherian

Lauri Cruver Cherian portrays the rich history of Tacoma and Gig Harbor, Washington at the turn of the twentieth century through the eyes of seven-year-old Myrtle who is the author’s grandmother. The reader meets compelling immigrants from around the world who board in the house owned and operated by Myrtle’s parents. The story is peppered with time period cuisine, entertainment, jokes, poetry, music, and all the ‘newfangled’ inventions introduced into their day-to-day lives. As in our own times, Ms. Cherian’s historical narrative unfolds with love woven through the happiness and heartache Myrtle and her family experience

200 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2025

About the author

Lauri Cruver Cherian is an award-winning writer and an educator, teaching English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education to children and adults for three decades. She is a proud native of Washington State but has been transplanted to South Texas for the last 30 years. Lauri has been a master teacher and a leader of workshops in adult ESL education across South Texas. She is the recipient of several teacher of the year awards including Bilingual Teacher of the Year in Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston, Texas. She enjoys teaching adult ESL in her community, volunteering at the planetarium, participating in community theater, singing, playing the piano, traveling, and writing. She and her husband have three adventuresome grown children. Her poem, Courage (2021), dedicated to health care workers during the pandemic, won honorable mention at the Texas Mental Health Creative Arts Contest. Pandemic Magazine published her poem, “Coronavirus by 2022” (2022). In October of 2022, Lauri published her debut chapbook of poetry called, Poems of the Point, a tribute to growing up on the beach in the Pacific Northwest and in May of 2023, she published her second book, Brave as Thistles, a collection of poems about becoming brave through life’s adventures and speed bumps. This spring 2024, Lauri published Four Anxious Armadillos, a children's chapter book for ages 7-13. It's a delightful book and Storytrade Book Award Finalist perfect for a family read aloud about adventure and anxiety.

Reviews

[Ande Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the slogan, "You'll like Tacoma!", you will LOVE the newest adventure by Lauri Cruver Cherian. From the start we are sitting in the parlor, gathered around the piano with the boarders. Like Myrtle, we learn about a men and women whose stories represent the familiar in our own familial pasts. We explore Puget Sound with orca sightings, clam digging, taffy pulling with a young girl who knows no strangers. Reader, there is freedom in experiencing the joys and sorrows of life through the lens of innocence and curiosity. The author captures this whimsical tale based on her own family history. Be prepared for the desire to dig deeper into your own roots after reading this.

Well done, Lauri. Well done.