The Endling

by Keely Jobe

A feminist utopia crumbles with one impossible birth.

On an isolated mountaintop, a small feminist community is fracturing under the weight of ideological divides and dwindling numbers. Mila struggles to hold the women together, while deeper in the bush her aunt Frank — an ailing recluse — lives with only her dog, Chicken Midnight, for company. Nearby, an orchid endling approaches its own death, and the extinction of its entire species.

As Frank grows increasingly unwell and secretive about her condition, the community women begin mysteriously falling pregnant. When Mila gives birth to the only boy, their hardline separatist ideals face an impossible test.

Vividly expressed, wildly funny, and wholly original, The Endling examines the volatile intersection of community and politics, exploring what happens when the borders we construct between species, between sexes, between self and world prove more porous than we imagine.

Genres: Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 23, 2026

Reviews

[Jaclyn]

I love books about countercultures and this brought to mind some of the best including Hope Farm by Peggy Frew, Arcadia by Lauren Groff and Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner. But then Jobe shifts gears and the strangeness starts to permeate your pores. I loved how weird this got. Stunning prose, too, especially for a debut. Jobe writes with a confidence and clarity that sparkles on the page. Inspired by Amazon Acres, I went on a deep dive which was so interesting (no meat, no men, no machinery). When we talk about multiple hooks, this is what we mean.

[Chanel Chapters]

Thanks to Scribe for the ARC

A remote feminist commune swears off men forever… until biology hits “plot twist” and delivers a baby boy whilst other planty shenanigans occur.

[Melinda Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book. The vivid descriptions had me completely immersed in the wilderness of the mountain and the experiences of the women living there. I loved the questions it made me ponder and the wonderful weirdness of it all. And Chicken Midnight. How I loved Chicken Midnight. This is a book I will read time and again.

[Nerelle Donnelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story that has left me with conflicting feelings….

On the one hand, as I started off the reading journey, I found myself really enjoying the storyline. Connecting with the characters, intrigued to see more of how their lives would pan out, and basking in the beauty of the mountain.

Keely’s descriptions were both skilful and enlightening, creating a community made up of so many varied personalities and backgrounds, all with a common goal in mind, eking out not only a living but a lifestyle.

Then it all changed for me…..

The writing was still creative, the setting was still beautifully portrayed, however somewhere as the storyline progressed, I ended up being very confused. It all started to become a haze, I was unclear of what exactly was taking place, things were not explained at all, and I truly could not understand what was actually going on.

Up until just before all the community women fall pregnant, I was enjoying the book and found it to be very entertaining. From that point on, my enjoyment waned, the story had a resemblance of a drug-fuelled haze of confusion and inuendo, and so much was left unexplained, and for me, unfinished.

As I always say though, what I might find as little wanting could be someone else’s five-star read. So read the synopsis and all the reviews, and maybe you’ll find yourself wanting to visit Frankie, Mila and the others on the mountaintop.

Thank you Scribe Publications for my special, limited edition ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date | 31 March 2026

#theendling
#keelyjobe
#mountainexistence
#scribepublications

[nina.reads.books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let’s all take a moment to admire the visually stunning cover design of The Endling by Keely Jobe. With its incredible black orchid, you get a hint about the nature focus. In fact the first chapter is written from the orchid’s view. It's almost at the end of its life and it knows that the end of its species is near. But that is not all The Endling is about.

It's set on an isolated mountain where a feminist community has lived for years attracting women who want to stay well away from the wider community and men in particular. After a heyday where the numbers were large the group has dwindled. The two key characters are Mila and her aunt Frank. Frank took herself off higher up the mountain years ago and now lives as a recluse with her dog Chicken Midnight. She goes out into the bush one day and discovers a single orchid.

Frank’s health gets worse and she avoids coming down the mountain for supplies. Meanwhile in the camp the women mysteriously become pregnant. All are girls except one – Mila has given birth to a boy. The women become fractured. The end is near for the orchid, the community and Frank.

The Endling starts off one way and takes a sharp turn into something very weird. Immaculate conception, the bush nurturing the women in oddly hallucinatory ways, the strangeness of the babies (seriously!). This book will go places you will never be able to guess.

I love a book with chapters voiced by animals or the natural world. I had such high hopes starting with the orchid. Unfortunately, I felt like there wasn’t enough of this voice for me. The orchid only appears fleetingly and I thought it could have played a stronger role in the story.

So is The Endling climate, dystopian or feminist fiction? Is it about the end of a species or its salvation? It felt like a beautiful tragedy that I didn’t wholly understand. But the writing was wonderful. There was a feverish dreamy quality to it at times. I just wished I had felt more satisfied with the actual plot. Still an author to watch.

Thank you @scribepub for my #gifted copy.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up - This was a weird, slightly terrifying and beautifully written book - at once both a beautifully tragic story, and also a fever-dream of a book. I fell in love with the writing style, it's got this liveliness to it, you can absolutely picture the bush settings, the mountain-side community, the heat and humidity. The characters too were intreiguing, I especially loved Frank and Chicken Midnight, but I left wanting more from their arcs. I had a good time reading this, even if I felt that some elements didn't quite work for me.

[tinkingaboutbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Endling by Keely Jobe is a debut that is both tender and feral. I was initially caught off guard by the visceral opening "she has an odd impulse to lick the flower’s swollen lip," but as the story unfolded, the orchid’s role became clear. It’s an evocative euphemism for sexuality, fertility, and spiritual endurance that perfectly captures this "feminist utopia" on the mountain.

If you enjoyed the ecological themes of The Rewilding by Donna Cameron, you’ll find a familiar love for the land here, but with a much more provocative, literary edge.

Thank you to Scribe Publishing for the ARC.

[Kathleen]

Brilliant. Funny, tender, utterly strange in all the best ways.