This book had a lot of moving pieces and it was a historical fiction with a splash of mystery and the mystical mixed in. I really liked the original premise and characters. I found the story overall to be a bit of a slow read for me and it was not a book that kept me from picking up other books. I will say I liked reading a historical fiction from a different time period.

I liked the main character Two Feathers a lot even if her voice in the story came off as detached. Two Feather is a horse diver (I had no idea such a thing existed which was crazy and neat). She enjoys being a show person and loves her horse dearly. One day she dives and a sinkhole opens up and she and her horse fall into an underground cave. While recovering she has to slow her pace which lets her reconnect with herself and notice some other odd things like her mysterious admirer and an Indian ghost that has been following her around.

This book has a lot going for it. Based on the true story of a terrible accident, it offers a bit of history and a perspective on being Native American in this country in addition to a broader perspective on race, plus supernatural elements. It's interesting, but not a page turner for me. I think it's the kind of book I would enjoy the most in the context of a book club because it certainly gives a lot to discuss.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was surprised a lot by this book. I thought it would be more focused on Two Feathers and her horse diving career and less focused on what happened after her accident. I was also surprised by how enjoyable the storylines and getting to know the characters were. This really was a great book to get immersed in! And, as always, I love learning a little while reading a fiction book! Getting an inside look at Two Feather's thoughts and views was a bonus. So often we read about how Indigenous People felt or thought from others (white people) observing them. This is a wonderful character driven piece of historical fiction!

It feels weird to call something that involves murder and ghosts a "slice of life" story, but that's precisely what this book read like to me. Slow and meandering in an intentional way, When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky tells the "based on a true story" story of Two Feathers (real Cherokee, fake name) who works at the Glendale Park Zoo in Nashville as a horse diver in 1926. (For those who remember the Disney movie "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken," which I basically watched on a loop as kid, this'll be a familiar act.) Glendale Park Zoo was a real place, a place that holds special significance for the author as well, which she addresses in the author's note. Two Feathers is injured when the ground collapses under the horse diving pool, which leaves her laid up with a broken leg, stumbling around on crutches. Meanwhile, her friend, Hank Crawford, a Black man of mixed lineage, is courting a fairly religious young woman and trying to navigate that minefield while also trying not to make a "wrong move" in his friendship with Two or anyone else, which could be a death sentence. Shackleton is the owner of this whole shebang, haunted by long ago work to dig up and loot the graves of Native peoples buried in the space the zoo now occupies. Clive is the kind of boss of the zoo, an Englishman who is dealing with demons from the war, demons he often attempts to drown in drink. When Clive starts seeing ghosts following the ground collapse, he is hesitant to tell anyone for fear of not being believed. But one of the ghosts may be the solution to a problem that is ever-increasing and unidentified...

While I don't know that the pitch or summary really captures the reading experience accurately for me, I did find so much worthwhile in this book. With my description above, it's clear there's a lot going on in this book. There are a lot of characters that we get to meet and see their internal workings a bit, as well as a backdrop of several historical moments. Instead of feeling stuffed, it feels adequately full and rich, coalescing into a fascinating historical investigation and reckoning.

Content warnings: violence, animal death, racism, alcoholism, sexual content

When Two Feathers Fell From the Sky is a book whose description is a tad misleading. It sets you up to think there's going to be an enthralling mystery to solve, but really... the only mystery is why it takes so long for the story to really get going.

Essentially, horse diver Two Feathers falls during a dive. She breaks her leg; her horse dies. This accident uncovers a hidden cave underneath the diving tank, which leads to questions about the Indian burial ground on which the Glendale Park and Zoo has been built. Is that why employee Clive has been seeing ghosts, specifically an Indian man? And what does it mean that the park's hippopotamus has suddenly died?

What I Liked
The book has a diverse cast of characters for the setting of 1926 Tennessee. There's Two Feathers, an Indian woman and popular horse diver at the Glendale Park and Zoo. Crawford is her African-American friend who works at the zoo. Clive, another zoo employee, is white but from England, having trouble dealing with the past trauma of war. Then there's James, the owner of the zoo who fears for the business dealings of his son. And John is the recent collegiate hire who has a thing for Two Feathers... and Indians in general. Not to mention James' wife, the plate jugglers, the dance instructor, and the matron of the dormitory where the female employees live.

Come to think of it, all of these characters were a little hard to keep track of. (See below.)

Certain details of the book, such as the Glendale Park and Zoo and the Noel Cemetery, are based on real places. In the author's note at the end of the book, she writes about growing up in the neighborhood that was built over the old Glendale Park and Zoo, as well as her knowledge of the Bell Witch and hidden caves, all things that are important to the story in this novel.

The story is set amidst the backdrop of the 1926 Scopes Trial appeal to the Supreme Court of Tennessee. In fact, two of the story's characters attend the trial. It's interesting to see what the different characters think about it.

The story touches on the topic of racism in America. How white people took over the land inhabited by Native Americans. How when Two Feathers is injured, she has to get special permission to be taken to the "white" hospital. How Crawford always has to worry about his interactions with Two Feathers, lest someone get the wrong idea about their friendship.

What I Didn't Like
There are a lot of characters to keep track of. I did find myself getting confused between characters.

I didn't think the book lived up to its description or the way it was pitched to me. I kept waiting for something to happen, and then finally something did happen (Two's accident), but... then the story kind of slows down for a bit. But then something else happens (John gets pretty creepy), and then the story slows down. I didn't think there was that much of a mystery. It was more the story of the zoo and its employees over a period of several weeks as the world is changing around them.

So overall, I liked the book, but it was different from what I expected. You'll probably get a good book club discussion out of it!

When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky is published by Mariner Books and will be available to purchase tomorrow, October 12, 2021. I received a free e-ARC.

Know that this meanders a bit but also that it's a very good read with an unusual heroine and, wait for it, ghosts. It's 1926 and Two Feathers, who only uses her stage name, is a trick rider at the Glendale Park- she and her horse Ocher dive from a platform into a tank of water. And then one day, Ocher balks until Two urges her on and the two of them fall through the earth. She's rescued but has a broken leg, which sidelines her. Two has good friends, especially in Crawford, an African American man, a pair of sisters with a juggling act, and Clive, a British veteran of WWI. And a buffalo. She's watched over by a ghost, who keeps a serious eye on another park employee who is obsessed with her. Verble doesn't give much back story on Two (there's more about Crawford) but she comes through loud and clear. Bad things are afoot in the park and Two solves both a mystery and a problem. No spoilers from me but I was surprised at the turns this took. It is a tad slow in spots but the atmospherics, characters, and storytelling are wonderful. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. And the ghosts are terrific.

It's not an easy book but I loved it as it's well written and the author is a talented storyteller.
A mix of genre (mystery, historical fiction, magic realism) it's told by different POV and made me travel in time and space.
I loved the style of writing, the excellent character development and how all the elements mix creating an enthralling story.
There're some moment which are a bit hard to read as they talk about racism and how hard it was to be a non white.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

An amazingly fun story to read. It may not be a complete substitution for a vacation, but it pretty darn close. The characters are full of life, the plot twists are witty, the Spirits cause the right amount of chaos, and romances seem right out of a Shakespeare comedy. Verble walks the tightrope of historical fiction and gothic mystery perfectly. I want to see this as a movie!

Another hit by Ms. Verble.
The Story of Two Feathers is a great telling of a young woman who is the star of a horse-diving act in an amusement park.

There is a mystery and plenty of action in this book. It also deals with friendships, racism and PTSD after WW I.
There is plenty to love about this book.

When Two Feathers Fell From the Sky is a story like no other. Two Feathers is a young Cherokee woman whose many talents include riding horses. She rode with a wild west show until it closed, now works at the Glendale Park Zoo. She and her horse Ocher would dive into a pool of water from the top of a tower. Two Feathers performs like a pro and signs autographs then returns to her room to read letters from home - a ranch house on land allotted to the Cherokee and other First Nation people who were removed from their lands. A horrible accident uncovers secrets long buried. Strange things happen at the park, the hippo falls mysteriously ill, ghosts appear and the ancient past becomes real. Two dodges a creepy stalker and becomes closer to the zookeeper, a World War II veteran with issues of his own. She ends up working together with Clive, the zookeeper, the other performers and even the stakeholders to save the zoo and appease the ancient spirits. This was a compelling and entertaining book - I enjoyed reading it. Fans of Lousie Erdrich will enjoy this very much, but anyone who enjoys fiction will love this. There is a lot to discuss for book clubs - this will make an excellent choice. Many thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read the ARC.

This book was hit and miss for me, there were elements that I enjoyed but they were drowned out by the multiple viewpoints and a very slow-moving storyline.

I was intrigued by the unique premise of this story but after reading and putting this book down and picking it back up a few times, I found myself easily distracted rather than intrigued. My favorite parts of this book were the characters, specifically Two Feathers and Clive, as much as I liked Two Feathers character, I can't help but feeling there was something missing from her storyline. I really loved the bonds established between the animals and humans at the Zoo. This book was a mash-up of genres and I'm just not sure that it worked for me, it felt like there was too much going on but not enough at the same time and I think that is largely due to the incomplete development of character storylines.

Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Two Feathers Fell From The Sky is the third novel by American Pulitzer Prize finalist, Margaret Verble. It’s 1926 and Cherokee horse diver Two Feathers is performing at Glendale Park and Zoo near Nashville, Tennessee, regularly sending money home to her family at The Miller Brothers One Hundred and One Ranch in Oklahoma. She loves the animals of the zoo, especially the bison, and enjoys the company of three friends: Marty and Franny Montgomery, the Juggling Juggernauts, and Hank Crawford, the stable hand.

Two is used to propositions from male fans, but had her heart broken during the winter at home so she is wary of communications from a man who calls himself Strong-Red-Wolf, clearly a fake Indian name. Little Elk, on the other hand, is no fake, but she’s mostly unaware of his presence. It takes him a while to understand why he has, once more, been drawn from the afterlife into the in-between: “To kill the murderous night-going witch. To save the woman and animals.”

James Shackleford, owner of Glendale, consults with Two about establishing a box-turtle race as an attraction. Before this can get going, though, disaster strikes Two’s act and she ends up on crutches after being rescued from an underground cave-in by Clive Lovett, the Zoo’s general manager. Her enforced inactivity allows her to see certain things from a different perspective: the sick hippo, the romantic pursuit by the charming college anthropology graduate, and her performing future.

Verble populates her tale with a large cast, some of whom she allocates a vignette, while others receive much more than a potted history. And those characters are not exclusively human: buffalo, bear, monkey and hippopotamus also make a significant contribution.

Perhaps the most interesting are the zoo manager who, haunted by his wartime experience, becomes aware of spirits present in the park; Two Feathers, with her strong connection to the animals and her distrust of most whites; deep-thinking Hank whose genuine care for Two is unstinting; and Little Elk, whose naive perspective on a modern world occasionally provides humour.

Verble easily evokes the era with the customs of the day and the mindset of the community with regards the black population and the Indians, and the controversial Scopes trial and appeal. Her plot manages to include a scalping, theft from a tomb, electrocution, a spirit with a tobacco craving, several romances and, trigger warning, the death of three animals.

Verble states in her notes that many of the characters are based on the lives of real people, while certain activities and events have basis in fact. It is clear that her research on such topics as massacres omitted from teaching, and mass robbing of Indian graves, is thorough. Entertaining and thought-provoking historical fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

"Wild West shows had waned with the Great War and the movies...[the] Glendale Park and Zoo [provided] steady work while other streams of employment for vaudeville and Wild West performers continued drying up."

Two Feathers looked forty feet down into the diving pool. She waited for her mare, Ocher, led by her friend Crawford, to enter the diving platform. "Two liked excitement, and was addicted to danger, crowds, and clapping...Ocher [basked] in the applause...Horse diving was risky business." Two's passion was buying scarves which were often worn by performing cowgirls. She was on loan to the Glendale Park Zoo from the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch in Oklahoma.

Two Feathers was her stage name. It was assumed that she was a wild, Cherokee Indian. "She was certain animals have minds, spirits, distinctive personalities...and senses of humor...are like humans, only in different bodies...she also felt spirits in creeks, springs, river and rocks...some places were sources of strength, others were haunted...She heard the thunder of ancient hooves pounding the ground."

Two was sitting on top of the world as a horse diver, however, in 1920's Nashville, prohibition, racial, social and religious issues were at the forefront. Chambliss Hall dorm mother, Helen Hampton, could bond with Two "as long as Two knew her place." Pool inspection for the afternoon jump...crowd inspection...waiting on the ledge for Ocher...Ocher balks and backs up...a leap in the air...Ocher and Two disappear when the earth shifts and the ground collapses.

"When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky" by Margaret Verble is a powerful work of historical fiction. An accident opens a window to the past of so many well detailed characters. With references to both the Civil War and the Great War, the ravage to the human spirit is apparent. Antiquities of the past come to light...relics, caves, and a city built on sacred ground. "[Crawford's] grandfather had once owned land. His older relatives had worked it as slaves." Perhaps tolerance will prevail as swirling mysteries encourage the protagonists, from different walks of life, to work together. An excellent read.

Thank you Mariner Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of those strange novels that I did not love while reading, but cannot seem to stop thinking about after finishing it. Verble's story is wending and odd, the tale of a horse diving performer whose tank bursts into the ground beneath it, killing the horse and injuring the rider, but it's also more than that: about performance and obsession, legacy and hauntings, spirits and the world we live in and upon.

With this title, the bright yellow cover, the author being a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and a book description mentioning an eclectic set of characters and unexpected friendship, I knew I wanted to read When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky by Margeret Verble. I also wanted to read this because I have a very small percentage of Blackfoot Indian blood myself. Many thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for making this available to me.

Picture this: Nashville area, Glendale Park Zoo, 1926. The First World War and the influenza pandemic not long past. Two Feathers, a horse-diver on loan from a Wild West Show in Oklahoma, is diving at the park a few times a day with her beloved horse Ocher. She's trying to find her own way in the world, feeling that the typical life of a woman on the reservation she is from isn't a natural fit for her. Although she misses her family, there's the sense that Glendale Park feels a bit like home for her. When disaster strikes during one of her shows, an eclectic group of people rush to save her. In doing so, one character begins to witness ghosts and spirits roaming the grounds, and strange events begin to occur around the park.

The real strength of this story is the cast of quirky characters. Two Feathers and her Park friends are characters the reader can root for, fully fleshed, with flaws and virtues. I really enjoyed seeing how Two interacted with the animals. There is really only one bad apple of a character, and he can be spotted from a mile off. However, in places, it feels as if there are too many minor, nonconsequential characters, who ultimately play no real, defined part in the overall tale and were perhaps not necessary to be added at all.

The tale brings to light the painful truth of American history, which is that the white European people stole land from the Native Americans, drove them out, killed them through violence and disease, and completely changed their ways of life. In driving them off their land, Native American land was also desecrated; graves were robbed; an amusement park was built directly over a graveyard. It really makes clear the complete lack of respect that was shown to these marvelous, unique people. It also touches upon racism of whites to black people, although not as heavily. Important topics, which the author handled honestly and well, sticking to what she knows and only dipping briefly into the other.

The story is interesting. It's like spending a few months with some people you will grow close to, and you'll be happy to have met them and gotten to know them. There are lots of historical facts packed into the story, much of the day-to-day life of the time. There are romance and some unique, unexpected friendships. There's a splash of mystery. However, the mystery aspect was not as well done as the previously mentioned aspects. It was slow burn, and never really approached the feverish pitch that readers of mystery and thrillers get high off of.

Overall, I am glad to have read this book. I feel as if some of the historical facts have enriched my knoweldge of American history. I really enjoyed being immersed in this tale with this special group of characters and witnessing how they worked together to resolve difficult issues. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction, and especially Native American historical fiction.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Loved the book. Interesting style of writing that I felt contributed to character development and the convoluted plot. Interesting to me that it is loosely based on real people. Was sorry when the book ended partly because there were no definitive answers to final plot twists and also because I would have enjoyed spending more time with the characters.

Read if you: Want a story with an endearing character and a fascinating cast of characters.

It's hard to describe this book; it's gorgeously written, funny at times, quite moving at others. But if you are expecting much horse diving action and a mystery that dominates the story, you might be disappointed. However, it's definitely a worthwhile read.

Librarians/booksellers: Purchase for readers that are looking for Southern historical fiction and/or historical fiction featuring a Native American main character.

Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book to read by this author and I can't wait to read more! The characters are amazing and the story flows so well. Really cannot recommend this one enough!!

I was excited to read this ARC because I found Verble’s Cherokee America excellent. This book, however, manages to be extraordinarily boring, which is a shame because a novel about a Cherokee horse diver in a failing Tennessee zoo park who must solve a mystery sounds amazing. But the mystery is not a mystery and the parts that are allegedly mysterious don’t even pop up until late in the book. The book is missed opportunity after missed opportunity.

Utterly original and gorgeously written. A highly recommended purchase for all public fiction collections.