Historical fiction by Margaret Verble, Strong NDN Woman protagonist arts, gigs, diving horse act. Mystical, spirits, witches, medicine, ghosts, Tennesee, Reconstruction, class status, this novel has so many facets it could be studied in honors English where learners are encouraged to find symbolism in fiction showing America's melting pot, and which can identify areas where women, children, and LOC are at the mercy of men of the lowest ilk. This story could easily morph into a series. Unforgettable. ( )

3.5****

1920s Tennessee is the setting for this novel. Two Feathers (her stage name) is a Native American horsewoman who, determined to make her own way in the world, left her family’s Oklahoma ranch to join a Wild West show. Now she’s at the Glendale Park and Zoo in Nashville, performing twice a day as a horse diver. Her best friend at Glendale is Hank Crawford, a black man who tends the horses. When unexplained events begin occurring, Clive, the chief zookeeper, becomes involved. He is a veteran of World War I warfare and is haunted (literally and figuratively) by his experiences in the trenches.

What interesting characters! Verble weaves through elements of history not often covered in school from ancient bison tracks, to the forced expulsion of the Cherokee (Trail of Tears), to Jim Crow, to the desecration of ancient burial grounds, and to the effects of PTSD. She deftly incorporates magical realism, especially by using the ghost of Little Elk, a long-deceased warrior who longs to communicate with Two Feathers.

I was captivated by this unique story. All these characters had interesting journeys of self discovery, which required they to use intelligence, courage and perseverance. I absolutely loved Little Elk and cheered at his increasingly successful efforts to make his presence known. Two Feathers is a remarkable young woman – fiercely determined, intelligent, observant, loyal, resilient. Her personal journey is every bit as fascinating as Little Elk’s. ( )

"Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize" is a huge recommendation to read a book but while I enjoyed it I wouldn't have put it in that category. The novel deals with racism, white/black/Indian but somehow friendships are found and built upon.

The ending was much too flat, but still a good read.

Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers for a copy for my review. ( )

The main character - Two Feathers - is a horse diver. She works at an early amusement park of sorts in the 1910s or 20s. She rides a horse off of a diving platform into a pool of water. She faces prejudice from others for her Native American heritage but she enjoys her independent lifestyle, though she often reminisces about life on the ranch where she grew up. She attracts the interest of a weird guy who is a native American wannabe who starts stalking her and leaving her weird notes. The owner of the park and the caretaker of the animals at the park are also involved, especially after an accident lands two feathers in the hospital. Even stranger, a ghostly Native American also becomes part of the story.
This story did not capture my interest all that much. Fans of magical realism and historical fiction may find it of interest, but for me it fell a bit flat. ( )

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Horse diving was risky business. That's why people liked it so much.

When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky, pulled me in with the synopsis about a young woman Cherokee horse diver who worked at Glendale Park Zoo in Tennessee. While Two is the most centered character, the story was really about all the humans, animals, and other occupants of the Tennessee land. The beginning provides a summary of the land from prerecorded history to 1926, where the story stops to focus.

This was a mish mash of historical fiction, mystery, and magical realism; I think the historical fictions aspects were the best parts. The author uses real historical places (Glendale Park Zoo) alongside fictitious people, but who are clearly based on real people. The first half had me struggling at some points because of the amount of characters and how we get a focus, background and following along with the issues in their lives in this moment of time, on them. I really enjoyed the character of Two, she admits that Two Feathers is a stage name, her real name is Nancy but that isn't colorful enough for the shows. She grew-up on a ranch in Oklahoma and always wanted to be a star, she's been riding horses since she was three and loves horse diving with her horse Ocher. She's a character that instantly grabs your attention and you want to spend time with her and that is where my struggling with the first half came in as the focus shifted to other characters too much.

Along with Two at the Park Zoo, she lives in a dormitory run by a woman named Helen and also houses two plate spinning sisters Marty and Franny, Crawford who takes care of Ocher and the stables, Clive who oversees all the animals, new-hire Jack, and Park owner Mr. Shackleford. All of these characters have their own backgrounds and issues that get focuses, Franny starting to drop plates, Crawford romancing a girl named Bonita, Clive dealing with PTSD from WWI and starting to see ghosts, and Mr. Shackleford trying to hold it all together. The first half ends up feeling too scattered and divided, the second-half does bring and thread them together more but it does make for an undertaking beginning.

The horse diving wasn't as much a focus as I would have liked, we do get a good descriptive scene of it but at 25% a horrific moment happens (there are multiple animal deaths in this) and the mystery starts to come in, along with the magical realism and supernatural elements. The mystery is more for the characters as the reader knows who is behind everything and why. It involves Two getting secret admirer letters from someone calling themselves “Strong-Red-Wolf”, she knows right away that the person isn't a real Native American by the way the letter is written, and the mysterious letter writer ties-in with the Park Zoo animal deaths. The supernatural elements have Clive starting to see ghosts after he recuses Two and a ghost, Little Elk, who starts to become a protector of Two.

While the story did go off on other character tangents that did give the story a disjointed feel at times, they, mostly, found a way to come back to Two. If you go into this with more of the mindset of reading about a snapshot in time about that particular land's current occupants, you'd enjoy it more. This 1920s snapshot had the author infusing and weaving evolution debate, racism, segregation, shell shock, and the horrific impact of Manifest Destiny on Native Americans. I'm not so sure the ghosts aspects worked but, like I said, if looking for historical fiction elements, this had a good feel for the times in 1920s Tennessee. ( )