WHEN TWO FEATHERS FELL FROM THE SKY

1. Why do you think the author made the decision to begin the story of Two Feathers and the Glendale Park and Zoo with “When It Was”? What does this introduction reveal about the story’s setting and historical context? What major themes and motifs of the novel does this preface introduce? How do you think your view of the book would have been different if the author had not included it?

2. How is Two treated in comparison to the other women at Glendale? Why didn’t Helen Hampton “feel like she could get as familiar with Two as she could with the other residents” (page 10)? How does Two cope with this? After she is injured, why doesn’t Two want her parents to have to travel on the train to get to her? Although Two acknowledges that she is treated differently because of her race, does she ever challenge this? Why or why not?

3. Discuss how the book creates a dialogue about racism and segregation in America. Two admits that she has been treated with prejudice both on the road and on the ranch. Where do we also find instances of this during her time at Glendale? How does racism influence the way that Two interacts with other people, such as her friend Hank Crawford? How is Crawford impacted by the segregation of 1920s Nashville? How does his status as a member of a landowning Black family affect this? When Crawford shares the news that his cousin has been beaten, how does Two respond to the news? How does she relate to Crawford’s experiences with racism and segregation, and where do their experiences diverge?

4. What does Clive observe about Mr. Shackleford’s views on race? Why does he say that Shackleford’s views were “more peculiar than most” (page 117)? How does Shackleford consider his own views on race? Do you think that he is aware or unaware of his own racism? Discuss.

5. Two eventually learns that Glendale is built upon a cemetery. How does she feel about this? Who was involved in the desecration of Noel Cemetery? What do they remove from the graves and what do they do with the items they find? How did Mr. Shackleford view his own involvement with this, and how did this change “as he’d approached the twilight of his life” (page 102)? When did he realize this alteration in his thinking? What questions does the novel suggest about archaeology, ownership, and the history of museums and collections?

6. Who is Jack Older, and why is he convinced that he is Native American, even though he is white? As a child, what does he misunderstand about his parents’ farm that further reinforces this notion? Why does he think that Two Feathers “seemed like his destiny” (page 46), and how does this influence his actions? Discuss how his character serves as a catalyst for the exploration of the larger themes of appropriation and entitlement.

7. How is Clive Lovett affected by PTSD? How do the other characters, including his boss, Mr. Shackleford, seem to respond to this? When Clive begins to form a relationship with Helen, what doesn’t he want her to know or to see about him? Is he ever able to overcome this? How does his experience in the cave with Two ultimately change Clive and “[shift] earthquake-like his entire view of existence” (page 105)?