A finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, Anna-Marie
McLemore's The Weight of Feathers is an utterly captivating young
adult novel by a talented new voice.
For twenty years, the Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and
enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both
families make their living as traveling performers in competing
shows-the Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former
tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees they can find.
Lace Paloma may be new to her family's show, but she knows as well as
anyone to keep her distance from the Corbeaus. She's heard the rumors
that their fearlessness of heights is from the devil himself, and that
simply touching a Corbeau could mean death. But when disaster strikes
the small town where both families are performing, it's a Corbeau boy,
Cluck, who saves Lace's life. And his touch immerses her in the
Corbeaus' world, where falling for him could turn his own family against
him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in
the trees.