Set in the 1920s Nashville, a century-old mystery is uncovered. Two Feathers Is a Native-American who works at the Glendale Park Zoo as a horse diver, while her friend Hank Crawford is an African American. In a highly segregated society, their friendship will prove to be a unique pair that dares to challenge the status quo.
Two and Hank constantly face discrimination and are repeatedly reminded of their place in this world. This however does not deter them from pursuing their dreams. Disaster unfolds during one of Two’s performances when the ground swallows her whole. Luckily, she survives the fall and sustains major injuries.
As she slowly recovers, Two gets an opportunity to interact with a group of interesting individuals working at the park. From war veterans to descendants of slaves, she learns first-hand of the plights of victims of marginalization and oppression in a white majority society.
In her interactions, Two learns the painful history of the land which the zoo is built on. Her ancestors were brutally murdered and driven from their land. She also learns that the zoo was built on a graveyard site, and multiple slaves toiled their lives away tending to that land. The novel explores the history of that land for a period of a century. We witness the atrocities that went into that space and the things that happened that have been for the most part overlooked.
The author delves deep into the consequences of America’s founding and the aftereffects of Manifest Destiny and every atrocious event that unfolded after the fact.
