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142 Ostriches
Set against the unexpected splendor of an ostrich ranch in the California desert, April Dávila's beautifully written debut conjures an absorbing and compelling heroine in a story of courage, family and forgiveness.
When Tallulah Jones was thirteen, her grandmother plucked her from the dank Oakland apartment she shared with her unreliable mom and brought her to the family ostrich ranch in the Mojave Desert. After eleven years caring for the curious, graceful birds, Tallulah accepts a job in Montana and prepares to leave home. But when Grandma Helen dies under strange circumstances, Tallulah inherits everything—just days before the birds inexplicably stop laying eggs.
Guarding the secret of the suddenly barren birds, Tallulah endeavors to force through a sale of the ranch, a task that is complicated by the arrival of her extended family. Their designs on the property, and deeply rooted dysfunction, threaten Tallulah's ambitions and eventually her life. With no options left, Tallulah must pull her head out of the sand and face the fifty-year legacy of a family in turmoil: the reality of her grandmother's death, her mother's alcoholism, her uncle's covetous anger, and the 142 ostriches whose lives are in her hands.
When Tallulah Jones was thirteen, her grandmother plucked her from the dank Oakland apartment she shared with her unreliable mom and brought her to the family ostrich ranch in the Mojave Desert. After eleven years caring for the curious, graceful birds, Tallulah accepts a job in Montana and prepares to leave home. But when Grandma Helen dies under strange circumstances, Tallulah inherits everything—just days before the birds inexplicably stop laying eggs.
Guarding the secret of the suddenly barren birds, Tallulah endeavors to force through a sale of the ranch, a task that is complicated by the arrival of her extended family. Their designs on the property, and deeply rooted dysfunction, threaten Tallulah's ambitions and eventually her life. With no options left, Tallulah must pull her head out of the sand and face the fifty-year legacy of a family in turmoil: the reality of her grandmother's death, her mother's alcoholism, her uncle's covetous anger, and the 142 ostriches whose lives are in her hands.
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2020
73 people are currently reading
5,699 people want to read
About the author
April Davila
2books89followersApril Dávila received her undergraduate degree from Scripps College before going on to study writing at USC. She was a resident of the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony in 2017 and attended the Squaw Valley Community of Writers in 2018. In 2019 her short story “Ultra� was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. A fourth-generation Californian, she lives in La Cañada Flintridge with her husband and two children. She is a practicing Buddhist, half-hearted gardener, and occasional runner. 142 Ostriches is her first novel.
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February 6, 2020
Tallulah Jones use to live with her alcoholic- mother in a pathetic apartment in Oakland.... but at age 13, her grandmother took over the caretaking - and moved Tallulah to her ostrich ranch in the Mojave Desert in California. Tallulah hadn’t seen her mother at all for 11 years.
Talluluh loved working with the birds and on a ranch for many years...
but she was growing up.
At age 24... she was planning on leaving to join the Forest Service in Montana.....
But....
Grandma Helen played a dirty trick…she went and died, ( strange accident), knowing that Tallulah would be the only person who could run the ranch in her absence.
Grandma Helen had left the ranch to Tallulah, knowing she was the only one who could run it. Her other three children hadn’t any interest in it.
Tallulah had to keep up with the work on the ranch by herself.
“The flock would lay dozens of eggs every day in the hot summer months of the peak season. Each egg had to be collected, washed, polished, and stacked in cold storage for eventual shipping out to specialty grocery stores all over the country.
Without grandma Helen it was difficult to keep it up�.
Tallulah planned on selling the ranch - had a buyer and everything... but almost instantly the ostriches stopped laying eggs. Not exactly a good sign for the buyer. ”Houston, we have a problem�.
The story moves in several directions.
Tallulah had grown up with an alcoholic father, a very distant mother, an aunt Christine who embrace God and an Uncle Scott who had lost himself in drugs....
but the resilient Tallulah learned that one step leads to another� one idea connects to another…and if she wanted to save herself from following the footsteps of behaviors that didn’t enrich or empower...she had to trust that moving forward would save her.
Sweet messages - and symbolism throughout...
Tallulah had an honest voice ... she struggled against daunting odds to find her place in the world - a place she could call home.
Sweet - touching story....
the power of the ostriches are felt symbolically throughout this story in relation to a young likable woman coming of age.
Though they can’t fly, Ostriches are fleet, strong runners....as our powerful young protagonist was.
“The ostrich was large, as was its feathers and eggs.
In fact, the ostrich spiritual totem lays the largest eggs out of all birds on the planet....
Since they were so large they were a symbol for wealth, abundance, and fertility�.
A quick read...with writing that oscillated with true feelings.
By the end of this story the thoughts that came to me were.....
in the end... nothing was behind.... Tallulah had gathered her feathers, tilted her wings upward and gazed forward.
Gorgeous book cover!
Thank you Kensington Books, Netgalley, and April Davila
Talluluh loved working with the birds and on a ranch for many years...
but she was growing up.
At age 24... she was planning on leaving to join the Forest Service in Montana.....
But....
Grandma Helen played a dirty trick…she went and died, ( strange accident), knowing that Tallulah would be the only person who could run the ranch in her absence.
Grandma Helen had left the ranch to Tallulah, knowing she was the only one who could run it. Her other three children hadn’t any interest in it.
Tallulah had to keep up with the work on the ranch by herself.
“The flock would lay dozens of eggs every day in the hot summer months of the peak season. Each egg had to be collected, washed, polished, and stacked in cold storage for eventual shipping out to specialty grocery stores all over the country.
Without grandma Helen it was difficult to keep it up�.
Tallulah planned on selling the ranch - had a buyer and everything... but almost instantly the ostriches stopped laying eggs. Not exactly a good sign for the buyer. ”Houston, we have a problem�.
The story moves in several directions.
Tallulah had grown up with an alcoholic father, a very distant mother, an aunt Christine who embrace God and an Uncle Scott who had lost himself in drugs....
but the resilient Tallulah learned that one step leads to another� one idea connects to another…and if she wanted to save herself from following the footsteps of behaviors that didn’t enrich or empower...she had to trust that moving forward would save her.
Sweet messages - and symbolism throughout...
Tallulah had an honest voice ... she struggled against daunting odds to find her place in the world - a place she could call home.
Sweet - touching story....
the power of the ostriches are felt symbolically throughout this story in relation to a young likable woman coming of age.
Though they can’t fly, Ostriches are fleet, strong runners....as our powerful young protagonist was.
“The ostrich was large, as was its feathers and eggs.
In fact, the ostrich spiritual totem lays the largest eggs out of all birds on the planet....
Since they were so large they were a symbol for wealth, abundance, and fertility�.
A quick read...with writing that oscillated with true feelings.
By the end of this story the thoughts that came to me were.....
in the end... nothing was behind.... Tallulah had gathered her feathers, tilted her wings upward and gazed forward.
Gorgeous book cover!
Thank you Kensington Books, Netgalley, and April Davila
April 3, 2020
This turned out to be quite a nice novel of self discovery. Though I am reading some lighter reads, when I first started this I thought it might be too light. Yet, how many chances are there to read a book that contains 142 ostriches? Not many, or maybe none. It does start rather slowly, but add a dysfunctional family, and the pace is sure to move right along.
Plus, I enjoyed the main character Tullulah, her searching for self and all the trials and tribulations she has to go through first. Loved the descriptions of the desert, as well. Just beautiful. Enjoyed seeing her growth as she confronts various issues and finds the understanding to move forward. One ostrich is an amusing character in her own right.
Love this cover, the cover definitely gets a five. It's simply gorgeous.
ARC from Netgalley.
Plus, I enjoyed the main character Tullulah, her searching for self and all the trials and tribulations she has to go through first. Loved the descriptions of the desert, as well. Just beautiful. Enjoyed seeing her growth as she confronts various issues and finds the understanding to move forward. One ostrich is an amusing character in her own right.
Love this cover, the cover definitely gets a five. It's simply gorgeous.
ARC from Netgalley.
January 26, 2020
When the year is over, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be one of my Top 5 books of the year! Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for sending me a free advance copy of this book in return for an honest review. So much goes on in this book that one is hard pressed to come up with a favorite part of the book. OK, for me it was the Ostriches!! Visited an Ostrich and Emu farm in Aruba and was fascinated by those birds, and this carried over with my reading of this wonderful debut novel. Found out a lot about those birds, but there is so much more to this book. April Davila fills her book with an interesting story, that has both great and flawed characters and an inspirational message of belief in one’s self. We follow about a week in the life of a young lady who has to confront the death of her grandmother, a totally derelict Uncle, a Holy Roller Aunt and a mother who she has not seen in 11 years and who certainly would not get any awards for mother of the year! Oh, and what to do with those 142 ostriches and the farm she inherits from her grandmother. The strains that Tallulah is under would sink many others, but years of resilience living in the desert of California and taking care of the ostriches have instilled upon her a backbone and courage she never realized she had. A wonderful book about family, dysfunctional relatives, courage to face an unknown future and 142 ostriches. The author does a superb job of taking us on wild swings in action and the lives of the characters. There is little negative about this book and therefore it certainly is deserving of a 5 rating. Top notch effort Ms. Davila, I look forward to your next book!
July 9, 2022
4.5 Stars � A Mojave Desert ostrich ranch is the unique setting of this beautifully written novel of self-discovery. The location drew me into the story, and the author did a wonderful job creating a sense of place. Did you know ostriches can grow up to nine feet tall and weigh over 300 pounds? I would be pretty nervous about taking eggs from their nests. One kick from those powerful legs, and you're done!
In 142 OSTRICHES, young 20-something Tallulah Jones begrudgingly inherits the family ranch from her grandmother who died under suspicious circumstances. Having lived and worked there since her early teens, she's ready to make a quick sale and leave as soon as possible. But when the birds suddenly stop laying eggs, she's forced to pause a moment and finally face decades of family dysfunction.
I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this book, but I ended up greatly enjoying it. The characters were realistic and flawed, and in the end I could sympathize with all of them, even the not-so-likable ones. I'd highly recommend this family drama set in the stunning California desert to readers looking for something a bit different. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In 142 OSTRICHES, young 20-something Tallulah Jones begrudgingly inherits the family ranch from her grandmother who died under suspicious circumstances. Having lived and worked there since her early teens, she's ready to make a quick sale and leave as soon as possible. But when the birds suddenly stop laying eggs, she's forced to pause a moment and finally face decades of family dysfunction.
I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this book, but I ended up greatly enjoying it. The characters were realistic and flawed, and in the end I could sympathize with all of them, even the not-so-likable ones. I'd highly recommend this family drama set in the stunning California desert to readers looking for something a bit different. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2020
Have you ever been in love with an ostrich before? I never thought I would until I read this book. This debut novel by April Davila was so beautifully written about a family operating an ostrich farm in the California Mojave dessert. Davila's plot and characters are what made this book unforgettable and such an amazing read for me. Tallulah, our protagonist was such a well written character that was an inspiration and considerable my heroine in this story. Tallulah's character will be one of the few unforgettable characters I will ever read about. Davila wrote with amazing clarity and vividness in a truly uplifting story that I enjoyed thoroughly.
I highly recommend this book for a relatable and fast paced story that could be read in one sitting.
I highly recommend this book for a relatable and fast paced story that could be read in one sitting.
October 8, 2020
This was a lighter read for me than what I usually turn to, but it is a little gem of a book. Favorite characters, of course: The 142 ostriches on the ranch. The ranch, in the Mojave Desert of California now belongs to young Tallulah (Lu) Jones. Her grandmother left it to her rather than to her children because none could handle the ostriches like Lu can. But Lu has other plans for herself. She goes from a young impulsive girl to a strong decisive woman in a very short time, progressing in this way against the odds and despite those trying to get in her way. I recommend!
February 3, 2021
This was a nice story with a mix of humor, drama and, of course, lots of ostriches! Tallulah is a great character and her management of the ostrich farm after the death of her grandmother makes for a great story.
August 23, 2020
Four days after Tallulah’s Grandma Helen dies, her mother’s mother � a woman she hasn’t seen since she was 13 years old when her grandmother drove to the apartment her mother was renting and drove back to the desert with Tallulah, leaving Tallulah’s mother behind � everything for Tallulah begins to fall apart even more. She’s lived there for eleven years, and is angry with her grandmother for dying and leaving her there alone. Left to tend these 142 ostriches, and now the ostriches have stopped laying eggs. She had plans. Plans to leave, to join the Forest Service in Montana, to leave this place behind.
”How strange that one phone call from a man I barely knew could all but erase my grandmother from my life.�
Days after the funeral service, Tallulah’s mother arrives, unexpectedly. She had said she’d be there for the funeral, and in not being there she only justifies Tallulah’s feelings about her. She knows her mother is only there because she wants a share of the money; the same as Tallulah’s Uncle Steve, an occasionally recovering addict whose anger over Tallulah being the sole recipient of her grandmother’s estate has triggered that need. And then there is her Aunt Christine, whose faith in God grew as each child arrived, and now she has another on the way any day. Her faith creates issues among them, since Grandma Helen’s believed that the desert was her church, the perfect rhythms of nature her hymns, the elegant wisdom of the ecosystem her Bible. She put her trust in the shifting sands that surrounded her and said that if there was a God, he resided in the wind and the moon and the unrivaled yellow of a desert marigold.
Tension builds slowly in this story; Tallulah’s life spins out of control for a while, her desire to sell her grandmother’s ranch to an adjacent landowner who has had his eyes on it for quite a while. A desire that seems dangerously close to not being fulfilled as the ostriches have stopped laying eggs, a situation which needs to be remedied so she won’t lose the one prospect that is interested in buying it. She tackles one problem, and then another, and time after time her efforts seem in vane. Still angry with her grandmother, she can’t seem to see her, feel her everywhere she turns.
”Every doorway held an echo of her footsteps. Every bit of wire fencing had been strung by her hands. Every bird in the corral had grown up under her care.�
There’s so much more to this story that just needs to be read, the story begins at a somewhat slower pace, and like a runaway train, suddenly everything is unfurling. When is all said and done, it’s then she can see things clearly.
”Finally, the sun cleared the horizon and blasted everything with its full light. Shadows stretched out well defined against the sand, and all the pale greens of the desert shrubs emerged, completing the vast daytime landscape. There wouldn’t be mornings like this in Montana. I couldn’t believe there was anywhere in the world with sunrises so spectacular as in the Mojave.�
Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system, and the many Librarians that manage, organize and keep it running, for the loan of this book!
October 30, 2020
4 stars
This book is a family saga about an ostrich ranch in the Mojave desert. I knew nothing about ostriches, other than they have a vicious bite or peck and very strong legs that can do a lot of damage. It was not that this book gave a lot of facts on ostriches, although through the reading you learn quite a bit about them, but the ostriches were a major part of the novel, simply because they were a major part of the family's life.
This was a light read about a family in crisis. The loss of a grandmother, a granddaughter desperately wanting a new life, an uncle with an addiction, an aunt living in misery and a mother virtually worthless. Combine all the aforementioned and then throw in 142 ostriches. What a confusing combination. But in this book it all works. As I said, it is a light read, even with all the problem personalities. A debut book worth the read.
This book is a family saga about an ostrich ranch in the Mojave desert. I knew nothing about ostriches, other than they have a vicious bite or peck and very strong legs that can do a lot of damage. It was not that this book gave a lot of facts on ostriches, although through the reading you learn quite a bit about them, but the ostriches were a major part of the novel, simply because they were a major part of the family's life.
This was a light read about a family in crisis. The loss of a grandmother, a granddaughter desperately wanting a new life, an uncle with an addiction, an aunt living in misery and a mother virtually worthless. Combine all the aforementioned and then throw in 142 ostriches. What a confusing combination. But in this book it all works. As I said, it is a light read, even with all the problem personalities. A debut book worth the read.
January 23, 2020
When the year is over, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be one of my Top 5 books of the year! Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for sending me a free advance copy of this book in return for an honest review. So much goes on in this book that one is hard pressed to come up with a favorite part of the book. OK, for me it was the Ostriches!! Visited an Ostrich and Emu farm in Aruba and was fascinated by those birds, and this carried over with my reading of this wonderful debut novel. Found out a lot about those birds, but there is so much more to this book. April Davila fills her book with an interesting story, that has both great and flawed characters and an inspirational message of belief in one’s self. We follow about a week in the life of a young lady who has to confront the death of her grandmother, a totally derelict Uncle, a Holy Roller Aunt and a mother who she has not seen in 11 years and who certainly would not get any awards for mother of the year! Oh, and what to do with those 142 ostriches and the farm she inherits from her grandmother. The strains that Tallulah is under would sink many others, but years of resilience living in the desert of California and taking care of the ostriches have instilled upon her a backbone and courage she never realized she had. A wonderful book about family, dysfunctional relatives, courage to face an unknown future and 142 ostriches. The author does a superb job of taking us on wild swings in action and the lives of the characters. There is little negative about this book and therefore it certainly is deserving of a 5 rating. Top notch effort Ms. Davila, I look forward to your next book!
August 30, 2019
142 Ostriches is unlike anything I’ve read before. Wholly unique, this cinematic novel exposes readers to the relatively unknown industry of ostrich farming. In Davila’s skillful hands, the desert comes alive and the ostriches are as compelling as the human characters. Tallulah herself is a memorable, strong-willed protagonist. Her struggle to negotiate family obligations with her own desires feels both singular and highly relatable. I loved following her through the pages of this fast-paced and lovely novel.
July 22, 2020
I feel so lucky to have neighbors that like to share books with me. Our local library recently started to lend books again curbside. One of the many books my neighbor borrowed was 142 Ostriches by April Davila. I had wanted to read this book for a while. Since she read it quite fast she offered it to me. I was thrilled. It was engaging and quite an original story. The characters were brilliantly developed. Even the ostriches had distinct human characteristics. It encompassed family, love, land, choices, fate, community and discovery. I did not know anything about ostrich farming before I read this book. 142 Ostriches was a heartfelt and compelling story.
Tallulah Jones was brought up by her young, reckless, unreliable and alcoholic mother until she was thirteen years old. She became used to the parade of boyfriends and different apartments her mother and she had lived in over those years. Then one day when Tallulah turned thirteen her grandmother showed up and convinced her mother that Tallulah would be better of living with her on her ostrich farm. Without much of fight, Tallulah's mother agreed to let Tallulah go and live with her grandmother. Over the next eleven years, Tallulah learned about taking care of the ostriches on her grandmother's farm. Grandma Helen was lonely after her husband passed away and Tallulah helped fill that void. Tallulah's grandmother was not very affectionate. It was hard for Grandma Helen to verbalize her feelings and show them outwardly. Grandma Helen had convinced Tallulah not to go off to college but rather to stay and help her run the farm. Gradually, Tallulah began to have other inspirations and dreams. She had secretly applied for a job with the Forest Service. When she received a letter that confirmed she was needed in Montana as part of a fire prevention handcrew she broke the news to Grandma Helen. She did not take it very well. Grandma Helen insisted that she needed Tallulah on the ranch. They had a terrible argument and Grandma Helen took her truck and left the house. Grandma Helen was in an accident that day. She was hit by a tomato truck and was killed. Tallulah felt her grandmother did it on purpose so that Tallulah would have to stay and run the farm.
The ostrich farm, located in the Mojave Desert, had been in Tallulah's family for forty six years. Tallulah knew that her grandmother would never have thought of selling the farm to anybody especially not to Joe Jared. The farm was Tallulah's now. Her grandmother had left it to her in her will. Tallulah was determined to go to Montana and start her life out there. This was her plan and not what someone else had planned for her. The ostriches were her grandmother's life. As Tallulah found herself caring and worrying about the ostriches, she battled with her decision to sell. Each ostrich had unique and endearing characteristics and they slowly started to rub off on her. She knew Joe Jared would tear down her grandmother's house and the ostriches would ultimately be killed. Then just days before the inspection of the ranch was scheduled, the female ostriches mysteriously stopped laying eggs. Who would buy an ostrich farm with ostriches that were not laying eggs? Would she still be able to pull off the sale? Could she hide the fact that there were no eggs? Tallulah's dream of selling and going to Montana was further threatened by her mother's arrival at the ranch. She had not seen or heard from her mother in eleven years. In the end, Tallulah had to comes to terms with her mother's alcoholism, her uncle's anger that stemmed from the lack of love growing up, her grandmother's death and the 142 ostriches that she was falling in love with and that were depending on her. How would she make this impossible decision?
142 Ostriches was a wonderful book. It was April Davila's first novel. I look forward to reading her future books. It was fast paced and so enjoyable. The ostriches will steal your heart and put a big smile on your face. I highly recommend this book.
Tallulah Jones was brought up by her young, reckless, unreliable and alcoholic mother until she was thirteen years old. She became used to the parade of boyfriends and different apartments her mother and she had lived in over those years. Then one day when Tallulah turned thirteen her grandmother showed up and convinced her mother that Tallulah would be better of living with her on her ostrich farm. Without much of fight, Tallulah's mother agreed to let Tallulah go and live with her grandmother. Over the next eleven years, Tallulah learned about taking care of the ostriches on her grandmother's farm. Grandma Helen was lonely after her husband passed away and Tallulah helped fill that void. Tallulah's grandmother was not very affectionate. It was hard for Grandma Helen to verbalize her feelings and show them outwardly. Grandma Helen had convinced Tallulah not to go off to college but rather to stay and help her run the farm. Gradually, Tallulah began to have other inspirations and dreams. She had secretly applied for a job with the Forest Service. When she received a letter that confirmed she was needed in Montana as part of a fire prevention handcrew she broke the news to Grandma Helen. She did not take it very well. Grandma Helen insisted that she needed Tallulah on the ranch. They had a terrible argument and Grandma Helen took her truck and left the house. Grandma Helen was in an accident that day. She was hit by a tomato truck and was killed. Tallulah felt her grandmother did it on purpose so that Tallulah would have to stay and run the farm.
The ostrich farm, located in the Mojave Desert, had been in Tallulah's family for forty six years. Tallulah knew that her grandmother would never have thought of selling the farm to anybody especially not to Joe Jared. The farm was Tallulah's now. Her grandmother had left it to her in her will. Tallulah was determined to go to Montana and start her life out there. This was her plan and not what someone else had planned for her. The ostriches were her grandmother's life. As Tallulah found herself caring and worrying about the ostriches, she battled with her decision to sell. Each ostrich had unique and endearing characteristics and they slowly started to rub off on her. She knew Joe Jared would tear down her grandmother's house and the ostriches would ultimately be killed. Then just days before the inspection of the ranch was scheduled, the female ostriches mysteriously stopped laying eggs. Who would buy an ostrich farm with ostriches that were not laying eggs? Would she still be able to pull off the sale? Could she hide the fact that there were no eggs? Tallulah's dream of selling and going to Montana was further threatened by her mother's arrival at the ranch. She had not seen or heard from her mother in eleven years. In the end, Tallulah had to comes to terms with her mother's alcoholism, her uncle's anger that stemmed from the lack of love growing up, her grandmother's death and the 142 ostriches that she was falling in love with and that were depending on her. How would she make this impossible decision?
142 Ostriches was a wonderful book. It was April Davila's first novel. I look forward to reading her future books. It was fast paced and so enjoyable. The ostriches will steal your heart and put a big smile on your face. I highly recommend this book.
February 29, 2020
It was the title that got me on this book. And then it takes place in Imperial Valley, California - a very specific, familiar place in my life.
The Ostrich farm is plopped far out on the end of a road in hot, hot, hot Imperial Valley, and there are exactly 142 of these magnificent birds who call this farm home. Some like to trot alongside cars motoring up the drive, or hover-track the humans that tend them. They have mega-nests and mega-eggs (or did. . . .), names for each. It was fun to learn about the personalities of the ostriches - and I was hoping to learn more about them. But the pull of the story is Lula's family and all the characters they are, and her situation - what to do with her life. Everyone has plans for her and none of them jive with her plans for her. Meanwhile, each family member has their own set of tangled-messed-up-situation that seems to require some part of Lula to help with or participate in the management of. Grandma Helen is just trying to make the best of it, when Lula joins her. Readers are invited to trot alongside the ostriches, and stay up, please. . . .
It got a little long in the middle, and I was confused by the on-again-off-again love interest, but was mighty pleased with the ending.
I enjoyed it, and would like to read more from this author!
A sincere thanks to April Davila, Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Ostrich farm is plopped far out on the end of a road in hot, hot, hot Imperial Valley, and there are exactly 142 of these magnificent birds who call this farm home. Some like to trot alongside cars motoring up the drive, or hover-track the humans that tend them. They have mega-nests and mega-eggs (or did. . . .), names for each. It was fun to learn about the personalities of the ostriches - and I was hoping to learn more about them. But the pull of the story is Lula's family and all the characters they are, and her situation - what to do with her life. Everyone has plans for her and none of them jive with her plans for her. Meanwhile, each family member has their own set of tangled-messed-up-situation that seems to require some part of Lula to help with or participate in the management of. Grandma Helen is just trying to make the best of it, when Lula joins her. Readers are invited to trot alongside the ostriches, and stay up, please. . . .
It got a little long in the middle, and I was confused by the on-again-off-again love interest, but was mighty pleased with the ending.
I enjoyed it, and would like to read more from this author!
A sincere thanks to April Davila, Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2020
Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the Arc. I will try to keep this review as beautifully quick as this novel was.
I loved this novel. Never would I think I would be so enraptured and invested in ostriches! A short work of fiction with a plot that moved along at a steady pace, but the author still had time to develop a complex cast characters. My favourite read of 2020 thus far. I would recommend this book!
I loved this novel. Never would I think I would be so enraptured and invested in ostriches! A short work of fiction with a plot that moved along at a steady pace, but the author still had time to develop a complex cast characters. My favourite read of 2020 thus far. I would recommend this book!
November 7, 2021
Imagine a novel about family strife over an inheritance. You think you’ve read that book? Well, imagine, then, that the inheritance is an ostrich ranch in the Mojave Desert and that the heiress doesn’t want it.
April Davila’s �142 Ostriches� will take you not to the swanky restaurants of Manhattan, but to a vast open space roamed by giant birds. It’s a straight-shooting story in which Tallulah Jones, a young woman who inherits an ostrich ranch, decides whether to embrace the legacy her grandmother has left her or to leave the desert to pursue a path of her own making.
As she navigates the drama of a family beset by conflict and addiction, Tallulah is always lulled by the charms of the desert. In one passage, she marvels that no two rocks in her collection on the windowsill have the same color: “Before seeing the rainbow on my windowsill, I would have told you that the desert was the color of coffee with too much cream in it, but after finding over twenty rocks without a single one matching, I knew that you had to look closer. The desert was purple, and pink, and orange, and green, but only if you took the time to see it.�
Her family members come in many shades of intensity, too. All of the characters, from Aunt Christine, the mother hen and the family organizer, to Uncle Steve, the guy who lives by the Serenity Prayer, resembled people I knew during the time I lived near the Mojave.
If I were to change one thing about the story, I would have gotten the shooting started sooner. But then, that’s just me. As far as I’m concerned, you can never get the shooting started soon enough. Nonetheless, it was there, and I was glad it was there, because I, for one, didn’t see any other way to resolve this type of family argument.
As for the ostriches themselves, they made for an interesting sort of silent Greek chorus. The issue of whether they were lovable animals made for an intriguing central question in the book.
In all the story’s triumphs and trials, its ups and its downs, the description and the pace of the book tracked with the feel and the challenges of rural life. I loved falling into a story that dropped me not into the glib chitchat of the Big Apple, but into the straight-shooting deliberations around a kitchen table, set in a starlit landscape that shifts with the wind.
April Davila’s �142 Ostriches� will take you not to the swanky restaurants of Manhattan, but to a vast open space roamed by giant birds. It’s a straight-shooting story in which Tallulah Jones, a young woman who inherits an ostrich ranch, decides whether to embrace the legacy her grandmother has left her or to leave the desert to pursue a path of her own making.
As she navigates the drama of a family beset by conflict and addiction, Tallulah is always lulled by the charms of the desert. In one passage, she marvels that no two rocks in her collection on the windowsill have the same color: “Before seeing the rainbow on my windowsill, I would have told you that the desert was the color of coffee with too much cream in it, but after finding over twenty rocks without a single one matching, I knew that you had to look closer. The desert was purple, and pink, and orange, and green, but only if you took the time to see it.�
Her family members come in many shades of intensity, too. All of the characters, from Aunt Christine, the mother hen and the family organizer, to Uncle Steve, the guy who lives by the Serenity Prayer, resembled people I knew during the time I lived near the Mojave.
If I were to change one thing about the story, I would have gotten the shooting started sooner. But then, that’s just me. As far as I’m concerned, you can never get the shooting started soon enough. Nonetheless, it was there, and I was glad it was there, because I, for one, didn’t see any other way to resolve this type of family argument.
As for the ostriches themselves, they made for an interesting sort of silent Greek chorus. The issue of whether they were lovable animals made for an intriguing central question in the book.
In all the story’s triumphs and trials, its ups and its downs, the description and the pace of the book tracked with the feel and the challenges of rural life. I loved falling into a story that dropped me not into the glib chitchat of the Big Apple, but into the straight-shooting deliberations around a kitchen table, set in a starlit landscape that shifts with the wind.
June 14, 2020
Told well and the place setting is compelling and rather unique for being on a farmstead with 142 ostriches in high desert California. Selling the eggs is the business. All of those aspects of descriptive telling were the best parts of the novel. I especially like the named and nuanced individual ostrich now and again who either has action or context within the events of the conferring people.
The rest of it was barely a 2.5 star read and centered on family death/grief, dysfunctional parenthood, addictions, family member or two or three as "onus" opposition to personal plans etc. And it's chock filled to the brim with stereotype individual for each of those characteristics. Even a heavy drug addicted Uncle who is forging Grandma's checks.
Written on the verge of cozy and within good language prose flow and fairly strong original voice to our granddaughter prime- it still left me yawning and yawning. She doesn't even have much tight connection to anything. Not her own boyfriend or aunt or cousins or any one who stuck around either seem to truly register as "there" in her cognition, IMHO. I had to force myself to come back and finish it among 2 other much better and compelling reads.
But it's probably fairly realistic for the no faith holding or cold end pragmatic "loose" family quality/ definition of "family" that this represents as 2020 or recent years.
I don't know how anyone could trade that environment and climate for Montana winters either.
But for another audience, I'm sure it piqued far more embedding that for me. Ostriches are scary big and mean. So I guess overall- you couldn't remain a softie after years of such contacts. It would have been 3 stars possible if the ambiance of the egg laying quit wasn't such a ridiculous plot coincidence and contrived progression.
The rest of it was barely a 2.5 star read and centered on family death/grief, dysfunctional parenthood, addictions, family member or two or three as "onus" opposition to personal plans etc. And it's chock filled to the brim with stereotype individual for each of those characteristics. Even a heavy drug addicted Uncle who is forging Grandma's checks.
Written on the verge of cozy and within good language prose flow and fairly strong original voice to our granddaughter prime- it still left me yawning and yawning. She doesn't even have much tight connection to anything. Not her own boyfriend or aunt or cousins or any one who stuck around either seem to truly register as "there" in her cognition, IMHO. I had to force myself to come back and finish it among 2 other much better and compelling reads.
But it's probably fairly realistic for the no faith holding or cold end pragmatic "loose" family quality/ definition of "family" that this represents as 2020 or recent years.
I don't know how anyone could trade that environment and climate for Montana winters either.
But for another audience, I'm sure it piqued far more embedding that for me. Ostriches are scary big and mean. So I guess overall- you couldn't remain a softie after years of such contacts. It would have been 3 stars possible if the ambiance of the egg laying quit wasn't such a ridiculous plot coincidence and contrived progression.
January 18, 2020
I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review of it.
I loved this novel! April Davila's story is about Tallulah Jones, a young woman who is stuck living on her grandmother's ostrich ranch in the Mojave desert of California -- and wants to get out to escape the stifling small town life, her unambitious boyfriend, and her dysfunctional family. When her grandmother dies, Tallulah finds herself the sole inheritor of the ranch. She needs to sell quickly in order to take on a job in Montana. Enter the dysfunctional family.
While reading the book, I found myself caring about the characters and yes, even the ostriches. This is a story of well-developed characters, and page-turning moments. It was easy to get lost in the story, and after I finished, closed the book with a satisfied sigh. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading future novels by Davila.
I loved this novel! April Davila's story is about Tallulah Jones, a young woman who is stuck living on her grandmother's ostrich ranch in the Mojave desert of California -- and wants to get out to escape the stifling small town life, her unambitious boyfriend, and her dysfunctional family. When her grandmother dies, Tallulah finds herself the sole inheritor of the ranch. She needs to sell quickly in order to take on a job in Montana. Enter the dysfunctional family.
While reading the book, I found myself caring about the characters and yes, even the ostriches. This is a story of well-developed characters, and page-turning moments. It was easy to get lost in the story, and after I finished, closed the book with a satisfied sigh. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading future novels by Davila.
March 2, 2020
Oh my gosh, this book shocked my socks off in the best way possible. After reading the synopsis, I wasn’t sure what to expect. A novel about a family ostrich ranch in the Mojave Desert? Say what? My interest was certainly piqued, but I was also a tad skeptical. I will tell you this, my friends. This fascinating family drama exceeded my expectations like you would not believe. The storyline is unique, it contains very interesting characters, is full of surprises, and it’s extremely memorable. And well, now I kinda want a pet ostrich...If this debut isn’t on your radar yet, I sure hope it is now. It was just released last week and I cannot wait to read what Davila writes next! I highly recommend 142 Ostriches!
November 19, 2019
A breezy, luscious read with masterful, descriptive writing and surprising, heart-stopping action, 142 Ostriches grapples with independence, love, and expressing the way we feel. I fell for Dávila’s main character for her straightforward, conspiratorial, first-person voice on page one. In spite of her fierce loner spirit, we get to know Tallulah through the women meant to look after her, from Mom, to Grandma, to Aunt Christine, and thus, the story delivers an ensemble of complex women characters I loved, even when I resented them on Tallulah’s behalf.
If I have a complaint, it’s a just-can’t-get-enough issue. Even though they provide a multifaceted metaphor present in almost every scene, even though Dávila describes them in generous detail and chooses interesting zoom-in moments, I wanted more ostriches. I think I will always want more ostriches because of this book. I’m in love with ostriches now, hooked for life. I will never get enough ostriches, ever.
One more note: this is the kind of book I will read again, to try to trace how Dávila pulled off such relatable emotion and fast-paced tension. Highly recommended.
If I have a complaint, it’s a just-can’t-get-enough issue. Even though they provide a multifaceted metaphor present in almost every scene, even though Dávila describes them in generous detail and chooses interesting zoom-in moments, I wanted more ostriches. I think I will always want more ostriches because of this book. I’m in love with ostriches now, hooked for life. I will never get enough ostriches, ever.
One more note: this is the kind of book I will read again, to try to trace how Dávila pulled off such relatable emotion and fast-paced tension. Highly recommended.
October 19, 2019
This is such a beautiful, original, transporting novel! In the last few years, I've read mostly nonfiction--after a childhood spent devouring novels--and this book reminded me of why we read novels at all. 142 Ostriches takes you on a sympathetic but unflinching journey into a unique and seemingly lonely and desolate existence, only to show you how landscapes shape our lives and how families endure and find ways to love each other even after great loss. I picked up the book, planning to read 10 pages, and before I knew it, I was 40 pages in. The next night, I read until I'd reached page 189, and then this morning, I finished it. So, it's that entertaining and that moving. I planned to try to stretch it out and make it last, but I finished it in three sittings. I cannot wait until April Davila's next book!! And I can't recommend this book enough. I absolutely loved it.
December 23, 2024
Ах, обкладинка, підступна ти сучка! Прісна нудна клішезбірка.
March 20, 2020
What a unique and unforgettable read!
As a bird nerd, 142 Ostriches was a book I was anticipating. I forgot to request it before it was released but a special shout out and thank you to Kensington Books for approving me a day or so after the release! None of us knew yet just where or world was headed with all the virus shutdowns but this one ended up being exactly what I needed right now and I would especially recommend it to anyone looking for a transportive and immersive novel to escape with for awhile. Going from cooped up inside to the small town ostrich ranch within the vast Mojave desert is an incredible reprieve.
The title of this book is based on the number of Ostriches on the Jones ranch. We dive in and meet mid-20s Talullah who lives and works on the ranch. Her grandmother has just died, and Tallulah wonders if it was intentional, a suicide, to guilt her into staying at the ranch. Tallulah has gotten a forestry job and was set to leave, something she and her grandmother had fought about.
We meet the entire Jones clan- Tallulah’s Aunt Christine, a woman with a strong religious faith, and a bunch of daughters with one more on the way. There’s also Uncle Scott, a meth addict whom Tallulah’s grandmother was never quite able to cut off. Then there’s Tallulah’s own mother, who had Tallulah at 16 and had fled from the ranch and continued to run from place to place. When Tallulah was 13, her grandmother appeared and took her from her mother to come live on the ranch. Tallulah’s mother never put up a fight and failed to really stay in touch, so Tallulah is torn on whether she even wants to see her or not.
Then we have the ostriches. At the start of the story Tallulah is ambivalent. She doesn’t want to be an ostrich farmer and thinks she will sell the ranch. Yet, these ostriches have been in the family for 40 years. The Joneses sell their eggs to high end grocery stores and we learn a lot about ostrich breeding and nesting habits. They’re big dumb birds who love shiny objects, can easily injure or kill a human, but Tallulah’s grandmother had a deep fondness for them. She named them and was especially close to one obstinate bird named Lady Lil. Can you imagine a 6 foot tall bird free roaming your property, excitedly greeting you each morning when you step outside? That’s Lady Lil, and you will grow to love her like I did!
At its heart this is a novel about family. All the struggles and trials and ways that family makes us who we are. I especially loved the later parts of the story where Tallulah really grows as a character and starts to look at her family more closely and come to understand them, how they each ended up with the issues they have. There’s some really insightful commentary here and I thought it was something else, besides the birds and the incredible story telling, that made this such a unique and enthralling read.
We also see Tallulah find herself and in many ways, come to grips with the traumas of her life. There’s some heavy topics explored in this book- drug addiction, death and grieving, familial abandonment. Yet there’s a certain lightheartedness the ostriches afford the story as well. Will Tallulah choose to stay and run the ranch or will she sell?
Highly recommended. One of my favorites so far this year!
As a bird nerd, 142 Ostriches was a book I was anticipating. I forgot to request it before it was released but a special shout out and thank you to Kensington Books for approving me a day or so after the release! None of us knew yet just where or world was headed with all the virus shutdowns but this one ended up being exactly what I needed right now and I would especially recommend it to anyone looking for a transportive and immersive novel to escape with for awhile. Going from cooped up inside to the small town ostrich ranch within the vast Mojave desert is an incredible reprieve.
The title of this book is based on the number of Ostriches on the Jones ranch. We dive in and meet mid-20s Talullah who lives and works on the ranch. Her grandmother has just died, and Tallulah wonders if it was intentional, a suicide, to guilt her into staying at the ranch. Tallulah has gotten a forestry job and was set to leave, something she and her grandmother had fought about.
We meet the entire Jones clan- Tallulah’s Aunt Christine, a woman with a strong religious faith, and a bunch of daughters with one more on the way. There’s also Uncle Scott, a meth addict whom Tallulah’s grandmother was never quite able to cut off. Then there’s Tallulah’s own mother, who had Tallulah at 16 and had fled from the ranch and continued to run from place to place. When Tallulah was 13, her grandmother appeared and took her from her mother to come live on the ranch. Tallulah’s mother never put up a fight and failed to really stay in touch, so Tallulah is torn on whether she even wants to see her or not.
Then we have the ostriches. At the start of the story Tallulah is ambivalent. She doesn’t want to be an ostrich farmer and thinks she will sell the ranch. Yet, these ostriches have been in the family for 40 years. The Joneses sell their eggs to high end grocery stores and we learn a lot about ostrich breeding and nesting habits. They’re big dumb birds who love shiny objects, can easily injure or kill a human, but Tallulah’s grandmother had a deep fondness for them. She named them and was especially close to one obstinate bird named Lady Lil. Can you imagine a 6 foot tall bird free roaming your property, excitedly greeting you each morning when you step outside? That’s Lady Lil, and you will grow to love her like I did!
At its heart this is a novel about family. All the struggles and trials and ways that family makes us who we are. I especially loved the later parts of the story where Tallulah really grows as a character and starts to look at her family more closely and come to understand them, how they each ended up with the issues they have. There’s some really insightful commentary here and I thought it was something else, besides the birds and the incredible story telling, that made this such a unique and enthralling read.
We also see Tallulah find herself and in many ways, come to grips with the traumas of her life. There’s some heavy topics explored in this book- drug addiction, death and grieving, familial abandonment. Yet there’s a certain lightheartedness the ostriches afford the story as well. Will Tallulah choose to stay and run the ranch or will she sell?
Highly recommended. One of my favorites so far this year!
February 24, 2020
Everything you ever wanted to know about ostriches but were afraid to ask! A dysfunctional family and 142 ostriches. What more could a reader want! The story was beautiful and so carefully told that I could feel the love for these elegant birds with their individual personalities. It’s a story of family, community, forgiveness, trust and pain. The book jacket is one of the prettiest I have ever seen. I thank Kensington Books for sending me a comp. copy.
November 29, 2020
As a backyard poultry farmer myself, I simply had to read a story about an ostrich farm.
When Grandma Helen passes away suddenly, Talullah is bequeathed the family ostrich egg farm which includes 142 ostriches. She has been working the farm for many years but is not ready to accept Helen's death nor accept that her future has been decided for her once again. The rest of the book was really about a slightly dysfunctional family who disguise their dysfunction with drugs, alcohol or religion. Helen's funeral brings them together and they have to sort through all their drama and greed for the money that the farm represents. Talullah is a bit too entitled and self-centered to garner much care from me and I lost interest in her endless lamentations of "what about meeeee?!"
I did however enjoy the parts about the farm tasks and the individual ostrich-alities. There was Abigail, the hen with a limp who lived apart from the flock, Lady Lu, who had an unusual feather pattern, and Theo, who would escort every visiting car down the driveway. And there was the ongoing mystery about why the hens suddenly stopped laying eggs. But I found some fault in the lack of a tractor on a farm this size, the unrealistic aspect of digging graves by hand in the desert and the apparent lack of daily maintenance chores. But how could I resist the cover?!
When Grandma Helen passes away suddenly, Talullah is bequeathed the family ostrich egg farm which includes 142 ostriches. She has been working the farm for many years but is not ready to accept Helen's death nor accept that her future has been decided for her once again. The rest of the book was really about a slightly dysfunctional family who disguise their dysfunction with drugs, alcohol or religion. Helen's funeral brings them together and they have to sort through all their drama and greed for the money that the farm represents. Talullah is a bit too entitled and self-centered to garner much care from me and I lost interest in her endless lamentations of "what about meeeee?!"
I did however enjoy the parts about the farm tasks and the individual ostrich-alities. There was Abigail, the hen with a limp who lived apart from the flock, Lady Lu, who had an unusual feather pattern, and Theo, who would escort every visiting car down the driveway. And there was the ongoing mystery about why the hens suddenly stopped laying eggs. But I found some fault in the lack of a tractor on a farm this size, the unrealistic aspect of digging graves by hand in the desert and the apparent lack of daily maintenance chores. But how could I resist the cover?!
October 7, 2020
A quick and enjoyable read. I liked the characters and the way the plot progressed. I was a bit put off by the (minimal) violence, but I recognized it was a necessary part of the plot. And I loved the descriptions of the ostriches and relationships between them and humans.
September 13, 2020
4.5 stars. A very unique setting with lots of character itself helped to draw me in to the world of Tallulah Jones. The personalities of the ostriches! Also, human characters who are authentic in their independence and avoidance of dramatics. I really enjoyed this read.
October 18, 2020
An interesting book which is undermined by the rushed, almost anticlimactic ending. I loved the descriptions of the dessert and the ostriches but often felt the author was a little too florid in her descriptive phrases about unimportant story elements. Also what was the point of repeatedly referring to the mom's blond dreadlocks?
Shelved as 'abandoned'
March 18, 2021I am grateful to my book club for a spoiler-laden discussion on this book, because I had not gained momentum and do not care for family drama.
March 6, 2020
This novel takes us to the fascinating world of an ostrich farm in the Mojave Desert and leaves us there to sort things out along with the protagonist, Tallulah. 24–year-old Tallulah inherits her grandmother’s farm at the same time that she has made plans to leave the farm and experience life on her own. She is forced to put her wishes on hold in order to manage her birds (who have mysteriously stopped laying eggs), navigate her grandmother’s passing, and handle several challenging family members, including her unreliable mother and her recovering meth-addicted uncle.
Dávila creates her rural world with skilled hands, showing enough of the chores, landscape and lifestyle to make us want to learn more. The setting never grows tiresome, whether it’s being explored from the barn or the bar stool. Having grown up on a farm myself, I appreciate the respectful way in which the characters and creatures are depicted. Farmers love the animals they care for, and this is made clear in this story, as the ostriches are allowed to become central characters in the novel.
What impressed me the most is the tight focus of the book. The scenes build with purpose; Dávila sticks to the story and sticks to the action, and as a reader, I felt confident the story was heading somewhere. The conflict and action heighten in the latter half of the story, which keeps the plot moving and makes for a satisfying resolution.
Tallulah is a strong protagonist who remains determined until the end to find a life of her choosing.
A great debut.
Dávila creates her rural world with skilled hands, showing enough of the chores, landscape and lifestyle to make us want to learn more. The setting never grows tiresome, whether it’s being explored from the barn or the bar stool. Having grown up on a farm myself, I appreciate the respectful way in which the characters and creatures are depicted. Farmers love the animals they care for, and this is made clear in this story, as the ostriches are allowed to become central characters in the novel.
What impressed me the most is the tight focus of the book. The scenes build with purpose; Dávila sticks to the story and sticks to the action, and as a reader, I felt confident the story was heading somewhere. The conflict and action heighten in the latter half of the story, which keeps the plot moving and makes for a satisfying resolution.
Tallulah is a strong protagonist who remains determined until the end to find a life of her choosing.
A great debut.
May 2, 2020
A book about a family story on an ostrich farm? Sign me the hell up.
I loved it so so much. I laughed and teared up a couple of times while reading. The author's writing is descriptive, atmospheric and fluent, the characters believable. I understood each character's motives and emotions and Tallulah grew on me.
I can't wait to see what else this author is going to put out. And can we please talk about the cover design?!
This might well be on my top 10 list for the year 2020.
Thank you so much Netgalley for this 💎 of a novel.
I loved it so so much. I laughed and teared up a couple of times while reading. The author's writing is descriptive, atmospheric and fluent, the characters believable. I understood each character's motives and emotions and Tallulah grew on me.
I can't wait to see what else this author is going to put out. And can we please talk about the cover design?!
This might well be on my top 10 list for the year 2020.
Thank you so much Netgalley for this 💎 of a novel.
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