When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky

By Margaret Verble

Book Overview

Louise Erdrich meets Karen Russell in this deliciously strange and daringly original novel from Pulitzer Prize finalist Margaret Verble: set in 1926 Nashville, it follows a death-defying young Cherokee horse-diver who, with her companions from the Glendale Park Zoo, must get to the bottom of a mystery that spans centuries.

Two Feathers, a young Cherokee horse-diver on loan to Glendale Park Zoo from a Wild West show, is determined to find her own way in the world. Two's closest friend at Glendale is Hank Crawford, who loves horses almost as much as she does. He is part of a high-achieving, land-owning Black family. Neither Two nor Hank fit easily into the highly segregated society of 1920s Nashville.

When disaster strikes during one of Two's shows, strange things start to happen at the park. Vestiges of the ancient past begin to surface, apparitions appear, and then the hippo falls mysteriously ill. At the same time, Two dodges her unsettling, lurking admirer and bonds with Clive, Glendale's zookeeper and a World War I veteran, who is haunted--literally--by horrific memories of war. To get to the bottom of it, an eclectic cast of park performers, employees, and even the wealthy stakeholders must come together, making When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky an unforgettable and irresistible tale of exotic animals, lingering spirits, and unexpected friendship.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0358554837
• ISBN13: 9780358554837
• Release Date: October 2021
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

An Historical Fiction Adventure

My rating: 3.5 stars out of 5, rounded up to 4! I liked it! A spoiler-free review! So, this book was out of my usual realm of books-to-read. I like historical fictions, but I usually trend towards World War era books that take place in other questions (a realization I had while reading this book) and this was a change of pace that was definitely needed! I thought the author did a great job of introducing us to the main character, Two Feathers, who is definitely a believable character! I thought the pacing of the story went well, though I thought there were some sections that might have been sped up a bit for continuity and flow of the story, but they were minor distractors from an overall good story! I rated 3.5 only because it's not the style of story I usually read, which is why I rounded up. I can see this book being great for anyone who loves to read about American tales from the early 1900's. Happy book birthday! Happy reading!