April Davila - Author

Miscellaneous

The Empty Nest

May 17, 2022

A few days ago, the hummingbird nest outside my window was finally vacated. The little bird dipped low and swooped into the sky.

Note To Self

May 13, 2022

For my birthday last weekend, the kids got me this waterproof notepad for the shower. I love it, but I think the kids love it even more.

Yesterday Me

May 6, 2022

When my alarm went off the next morning, I’d curse yesterday me for being such a selfish bitch. Yesterday me used to make things so difficult.

Claire’s Hatchlings

April 27, 2022

This morning I looked up and saw Clair perched on the edge of the nest feeding two teeny tiny hummingbird hatchlings.

The Little Voice in My Head Needs Caffeine

April 22, 2022

Every time I see the word “decaf” a little voice inside my head responds “fuck off.” I’m not even kidding. […]

Claire the Hummingbird: Update

April 20, 2022

Even if the hummingbird nest was brand new when I spotted it, it should be just about time for the eggs to hatch…

Claire, My New Office Buddy

April 11, 2022

A hummingbird has built a teeny tiny nest in the light fixture outside my office window. I’m calling her Claire.

Davila’s observant prose conjures the drama of sun-scorched days and the calm of cool painted evenings as it chronicles the struggles and rewards of a rugged life in the vast Mohave.

— Yvonne Puig, Author of “A Wife of Nobel Character”

Vividly imagined and deeply felt, “142 Ostriches” is an utterly absorbing tale of an intrepid young woman coming of age in the California desert. I loved Davila’s big-hearted debut about land, family, and the ties that bind. Highly recommended.

— Lindsey Lee Johnson, Author of “The Most Dangerous Place on Earth”

142 Ostriches is unlike anything I’ve read before. 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.

— Amy Meyerson, Author of “The Bookshop of Yesterdays”

A story told with depth and beauty about the many things we inherit from our families. Davila’s characters are familiar, yet unforgettable.

— Wayétu Moore, Author of “She Would Be King”

An engrossing and original tale of love, betrayal, and extremely large birds, April Dávila’s 142 Ostriches is a novel that blooms like springtime in the California desert. Fiercely independent, brave, and tender, Tallulah Jones is a heroine for our time.

— Seth Greenland, Author of “The Hazards of Good Fortune”, Author of “The Hazards of Good Fortune”

A twisty, warmhearted story of family, community and fate, a thoroughgoing delight.

— Janet Fitch, Author of “Chimes of a Lost Cathedral”

Davila’s utterly unique novel nails the Zeitgeist… With unsentimental acuity, her narrator confronts the intangible covenant foisted upon her.

— Rita Williams – Author of “If The Creek Don’t Rise”

April Davila has made the rare thing: The perfect meeting of plot and character. A hurtling adventure of family intrigue helmed by a heroine for the ages, Davila’s novel will make your heart swell as big as an ostrich egg, and then hatch it.

— Katie Williams, Author of “Tell The Machine Goodnight”

I’ve never read a coming of age story quite like Dávila’s. It’s about a rugged existence, but with prose so gorgeously written that you can’t help but see the beauty in the world she’s built.

— Erin La Rosa, Author of “The Big Redhead Book”

Anyone who has ever felt the insistent tug of Somewhere Else… will find something of themselves in these fine pages.

— Mark Sarvas, Author of “Memento Park”