A turn-of-the-twentieth century historical novel about the impact of the first multiple birth “possesses both gravity and grace” and “the power to move us” (New York Times).

A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, this brilliantly wrought novel from acclaimed author Bobbie Ann Mason imagines the circumstances surrounding the birth of the first quintuplets in early 1900s America.

Set in the apocalyptic atmosphere of the turn of the 20th century—a time when many Americans were looking for signs foretelling the end of the world—this is the story of a young mother who unintentionally creates a national sensation. A farm wife living near the small town of Hopewell, Kentucky, Christianna Wheeler gives birth to the first recorded set of quintuplets in North America.

Christie is suddenly thrown into a swirling storm of public attention. Hundreds of strangers descend on her home, all wanting to see and touch the “miracle babies.” The fate of the babies and the bizarre events that follow their births propel Christie and her husband on a journey that exposes them to the turbulent pageant of life at the beginning of the modern era.

Richly detailed and poignant, Feather Crowns focuses on one woman but opens out ultimately into the chronicle of a time and a people. Written in taut yet lyrical prose, Feather Crowns is a literary classic that confirms Bobbie Ann Mason as one of America's most important writers.

“Historical fiction at its warmest, fiercest, and most intimate.” —School Library Journal

“A wonderful story.” —Kirkus Reviews

“An exciting extension of the writer's already considerable gifts.” —Publishers Weekly