When Two Feathers Fell From the Sky

Content Warning: This section of the guide describes and discusses the novel’s depictions of alcohol addiction and racism.

The Prologue to When Two Feathers Fell From the Sky contextualizes its setting—the summer of 1926—as a tumultuous time in American history. The Prologue quickly reviews the long history of Indigenous communities in the United States, focusing on the challenges presented by white colonizers. Verble identifies the 1920s as a difficult period for Americans of all ethnicities, pointing to the First World War and the Spanish flu as significant traumas. Verble introduces Glendale Park in Nashville, Tennessee as an antidote to this chaos.

An Indigenous American circus performer named Two Feathers (known as Two) prepares for her act. Forty feet below her is a small pool crowded with spectators. Two puts on her gear as her horse, Ocher, is led up a steep ramp. Ocher has been diving for five years, two of which have been with Two. Ocher prefers an extreme, angled leap into the pool, and clearly loves the crowd’s applause. As Ocher’s groom, Crawford counts them down, Two leaps onto Ocher’s back, and the pair dive into the pool. After the show, crowds gather for Two’s signature.