When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky is a historical fiction novel written by Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Margaret Verble. It was published on 12th October 2021 by Mariner Books. The narrative blends a bit of magical realism with real history as it is set in 1926 Nashville at the historical Glendale Park Zoo. As a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Verble focuses on her heritage and history of Native Americans in the early 20th century. The novel tackles themes that range from racism, history of slavery and segregation, classism to war trauma.
It follows a young Cherokee entertainer who cashes in on her identity and culture as a horse diver at the zoo. Going by the stage name Two Feathers, she becomes one of the star attractions until an accident initiates strange occurrences. Socially, Two has a hard time as an indigenous person, a feeling shared by her closest friend Crawford—a black man who tends to the animals. This opens the narrative to address the social issues surrounding race including discrimination and oppression from the white society. The ghost presence connected to the park highlight the dark history of desecrating graves of Native Americans before its construction. It delves into the history of human indignities against black and Native people since the settlers took over the land. Other human dramas occur around secondary characters such as the shell-shocked veteran Clive and Montgomery sisters.
The novel has been praised for accurately capturing the sense of time and spirit of the place in its depiction of history and characters. Library Journal wrote, “Effectively deploying her diverse cast of characters, Verble—an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma—captures the complex social interactions of the time. From race relations to social class to working conditions, Verble addresses key issues while spinning her ghost story around the fictionalized employees of a park that actually existed.”
