When Two Feathers Fell From the Sky Book Review

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.