Jenny Yates Fiction
Jenny Yates Fiction
Praise For Birdless
“Jenny Yates has the rare ability to write a novel about humankind's certain extinction in a way that tempers despair. Using compelling, cinematic scenes and the deftly written embedding of daily life, past and present, Birdless tells the story of how passionate love between two young women becomes the tether that holds onto hope and creates a new world. And I must say my favorite characters, the ones that offer me my own hope, are the cohort of old people living together with joy and ritual through the final disintegration of the Earth.”
—Sandra Gail Lambert, author of the Lambda Literary Award winning My Withered Legs and Other Essays.
“Welcome to the end of the 21st century. In this hot, birdless future, romance blooms alongside hope, as we view the world through the eyes of a young woman who has known only the outcome of unbridled capitalism. Jenny Yates’ skillful portrayal of this bleak landscape offers a path away from disaster, rooted in love and human kindness.”
—Rose Norman, author of “The Pagoda: A Lesbian Community By the Sea”
“Maybe the last days of life on earth are not actually the end of everything. In BIRDLESS, Jenny Yates delivers a tale of hope. Portia and her younger brother Ivan seem to be the only people still living in their town until they discover Amelia in a nearby house where she is waiting to die. She comes home with Portia and Ivan, and Portia and Amelia find love with each other. They get food from cans out of public drawers that are replenished monthly by an unknown agency and water from the few outdoor spigots that still work. In their search for anyone else who might be alive in their town, they discover a group of very old people who live together contentedly in a tiny community, caring for each other amid their differences. They are glad to have company and share their stories with Portia and Amelia. Portia's younger brother Ivan, an autistic savant, keeps himself occupied with scrounging up odd bits of metal, tools, and screws. He says he is building a time machine. The human race is nearing extinction, and Ivan is determined to help it repopulate. This story flows smoothly and easily. The delicious prose takes us from one adventure to another with gentle tension and mystery. I loved all the characters and the ways they interacted with each other and with their dying world.”
—Merril Mushroom, Author of Bar Dykes
Reader Reviews for Quito Murder Mystery
“This was a cute and quirky mystery about a murder of a private school teacher in Quito. For those people who are looking for books with LGBTQ+ main characters, this book definitely fits into that category. The lead characters in this story are fun and friendly, smart, creative, and are well-developed by the author. The solution to the mystery was not easy to guess, which is a good thing. And the entire story was plausible and well-structured.” - Carol Palmer
"A charming mystery story in which a school counselor at an international school in the capitol of Ecuador and her astrologer girlfriend have to solve a set of interrelated mysteries when the drama teacher shows up dead backstage at the premiere of a play written and performed by a group of nonconformist students. The students are bright but obstreperous and their attitudes and pranks are almost as confounding as the assaults on campus. Our detectives uncover the truth with wit and sympathy, People talk to them because they listen well." - David Taylor
"Loved the pacing and character development. Hoping for a sequel." - Patricia A Daly
"I am biased, as Jenny and her wife have been good friends for decades. So much of my appreciation for this book is based on the fact that spending time with the main characters was so very intimately familiar. However, I also loved much about the mystery itself. The setting was unique, one many Americans may not have ever experienced, or thought about. It is handled in a very balanced and thoughtful manner. It's a very good read." - Katherine Jones