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Happy Land
A 2026 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
A woman learns the incredible story of a real-life American Kingdom—and her family’s ties to it—in this enthralling novel from the New York Times bestselling, NAACP Image Award-winning author of Take My Hand.
As featured in The Washington Post ∙ People ∙ Harper's Bazaar ∙ NPR ∙ TODAY ∙ ELLE ∙ PopSugar ∙ Reader's Digest ∙ SheReads ∙ Woman’s World ∙ Real Simple ∙ BookBrowse ∙ and more!
Nikki hasn’t seen her grandmother in years. So when the elder calls out of the blue with an urgent request for Nikki to visit her in the hills of western North Carolina, Nikki hesitates only for a moment. After years of silence in her family, due to a mysterious estrangement between her mother and grandmother, she’s determined to learn the truth while she still can.
But instead of answers about the recent past, Mother Rita tells Nikki an incredible story of a kingdom on this very mountain, and of her great-great-great grandmother, Luella, who would become its queen.
It sounds like the makings of a fairy tale—royalty among a community of freed people. But the more Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land, and the lives of those who dwelled in the ruins she discovers in the woods, the more she realizes how much of her identity and her family’s secrets are wrapped up in these hills. Because this land is their legacy, and it will be up to her to protect it before it, like so much else, is stolen away.
Inspired by true events, Happy Land is a transporting multi-generational novel about the stories that shape us and the dazzling courage it takes to dream.
A woman learns the incredible story of a real-life American Kingdom—and her family’s ties to it—in this enthralling novel from the New York Times bestselling, NAACP Image Award-winning author of Take My Hand.
As featured in The Washington Post ∙ People ∙ Harper's Bazaar ∙ NPR ∙ TODAY ∙ ELLE ∙ PopSugar ∙ Reader's Digest ∙ SheReads ∙ Woman’s World ∙ Real Simple ∙ BookBrowse ∙ and more!
Nikki hasn’t seen her grandmother in years. So when the elder calls out of the blue with an urgent request for Nikki to visit her in the hills of western North Carolina, Nikki hesitates only for a moment. After years of silence in her family, due to a mysterious estrangement between her mother and grandmother, she’s determined to learn the truth while she still can.
But instead of answers about the recent past, Mother Rita tells Nikki an incredible story of a kingdom on this very mountain, and of her great-great-great grandmother, Luella, who would become its queen.
It sounds like the makings of a fairy tale—royalty among a community of freed people. But the more Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land, and the lives of those who dwelled in the ruins she discovers in the woods, the more she realizes how much of her identity and her family’s secrets are wrapped up in these hills. Because this land is their legacy, and it will be up to her to protect it before it, like so much else, is stolen away.
Inspired by true events, Happy Land is a transporting multi-generational novel about the stories that shape us and the dazzling courage it takes to dream.
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First published April 8, 2025
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About the author
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
9 books3,130 followersDolen Perkins-Valdez is the New York Times bestselling author most recently TAKE MY HAND (2022). Take My Hand was awarded the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Literary Work-Fiction and the BCALA Fiction Award. It was named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 in Newsweek, San Francisco Chronicle, Essence, NBC News, and elsewhere, and it was an IndieNext and LibraryReads pick for April 2022. The Washington Post called it "a jewel of a book." Her other novels include Wench (2010) and Balm (2015).
Dolen has established herself as a pre-eminent chronicler of American historical life. In 2017, HarperCollins released her first novel Wench as one of eight "Olive Titles," limited edition modern classics that included books by Edward P. Jones, Louise Erdrich, and Zora Neale Hurston. In 2013, Dolen wrote the introduction to a special edition of Solomon Northup's Twelve Years a Slave, published by Simon & Schuster, which became a New York Times bestseller. Recently, Dolen has written the Introduction for a 75th anniversary edition of George Orwell's 1984.
Dolen is the current Chair of the Board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation.
Dolen has established herself as a pre-eminent chronicler of American historical life. In 2017, HarperCollins released her first novel Wench as one of eight "Olive Titles," limited edition modern classics that included books by Edward P. Jones, Louise Erdrich, and Zora Neale Hurston. In 2013, Dolen wrote the introduction to a special edition of Solomon Northup's Twelve Years a Slave, published by Simon & Schuster, which became a New York Times bestseller. Recently, Dolen has written the Introduction for a 75th anniversary edition of George Orwell's 1984.
Dolen is the current Chair of the Board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,384 reviews
April 16, 2025
"This place wasn’t just our home. It was our refuge."
This was so beautiful! It’s one of those stories that quietly draws you in until, by the end, you're left feeling completely unraveled in the best way. At first, I was just trying to get my bearings, figuring out who everyone was and what the hell was going on. But by the time I reached the end, I was completely immersed in the characters and their deeply moving story:a hidden gem of history that felt so personal.
“When we call ourselves kings and queens, it isn’t just a fantasy of black pride. It means something.”
What makes this story so powerful is how human the characters are. It's about how generations carry so much history. It’s really up to the future generations to hold onto any pieces of the past they can get. Watching the present-day characters fight to keep their land was witnessing them fight to preserve their family’s freedom, their strength, and their story. It wasn’t just a piece of land—it was a symbol of hope, resilience, and legacy. Every choice the characters made felt so real and layered. I may not stand some of them (looking at you, Montgomery brothers🧐) but I understood why they felt they needed to do some of the things they did. I’m a strong believer in accountability regardless of the reasons, but the way Perkins-Valdez writes these characters makes it nearly impossible not to feel compassion for them.
One of my favorite things to do after finishing a book is to lightly research the history behind it, and this “Happy Land” gave me something to look into. It was amazing to learn that it’s based on a real place, where African Americans sought peace. At first, I thought it was that simple. But when they referred to it as a “kingdom” with a king and queen, I was reminded of the deep African heritage so many hold—where kingdoms, even small ones, were once thriving and I think still kinda do across various African countries. That understanding added so much richness to the story for me.
This book also brings to light the staggering loss of land worth millions that was stolen from African Americans, connecting to the racial disparities we still see today. Dolen Perkins-Valdez reveals this painful truth while still giving us a story brimming with love, hope, and resilience.
After being blown away by Take My Hand, I had a feeling I was might be obsessed with whatever she released next—and here we are. Her writing is so deceptively simple, yet packed with emotional depth and historical weight. I can’t wait to see what hidden piece of history she brings to light next.
This was so beautiful! It’s one of those stories that quietly draws you in until, by the end, you're left feeling completely unraveled in the best way. At first, I was just trying to get my bearings, figuring out who everyone was and what the hell was going on. But by the time I reached the end, I was completely immersed in the characters and their deeply moving story:a hidden gem of history that felt so personal.
“When we call ourselves kings and queens, it isn’t just a fantasy of black pride. It means something.”
What makes this story so powerful is how human the characters are. It's about how generations carry so much history. It’s really up to the future generations to hold onto any pieces of the past they can get. Watching the present-day characters fight to keep their land was witnessing them fight to preserve their family’s freedom, their strength, and their story. It wasn’t just a piece of land—it was a symbol of hope, resilience, and legacy. Every choice the characters made felt so real and layered. I may not stand some of them (looking at you, Montgomery brothers🧐) but I understood why they felt they needed to do some of the things they did. I’m a strong believer in accountability regardless of the reasons, but the way Perkins-Valdez writes these characters makes it nearly impossible not to feel compassion for them.
One of my favorite things to do after finishing a book is to lightly research the history behind it, and this “Happy Land” gave me something to look into. It was amazing to learn that it’s based on a real place, where African Americans sought peace. At first, I thought it was that simple. But when they referred to it as a “kingdom” with a king and queen, I was reminded of the deep African heritage so many hold—where kingdoms, even small ones, were once thriving and I think still kinda do across various African countries. That understanding added so much richness to the story for me.
This book also brings to light the staggering loss of land worth millions that was stolen from African Americans, connecting to the racial disparities we still see today. Dolen Perkins-Valdez reveals this painful truth while still giving us a story brimming with love, hope, and resilience.
After being blown away by Take My Hand, I had a feeling I was might be obsessed with whatever she released next—and here we are. Her writing is so deceptively simple, yet packed with emotional depth and historical weight. I can’t wait to see what hidden piece of history she brings to light next.
April 29, 2025
Dolen Perkins-Valdez is a literary treasure, finding actual moments in our history that are somehow both unknown and dramatic -- and critical to understanding the American character and soul. In this beautiful, powerful, surprising novel, she brings to life the remarkable story of a community of self-governing freepeople in the decades after the Civil War, and its undiscussed legacy. What was it like in Happy Land in the 1870s and 1880s -- and what does that legacy mean for four generations of women in one family in present day America? I loved this novel: every page makes clear the ways historical fiction move us as only the very best novels can.
June 25, 2025
Happy Land
is set in the Appalachian hills of Western North Carolina and told in two timelines...
...beginning in the present day as estranged grandmother, Mother Rita, recounts to her granddaughter, Nikki, the story of a community of freedpeople who built an African kingdom of their own, complete with a king and queen, in the years after 1873. Nikki learns about her third great-grandmother, Queen Luella, their family's land, and the importance of protecting and reclaiming what is theirs...
This historical fiction family story, past and present, is entrenched in overcoming hardships through hard work, self-sacrifice, and community. Protecting and honoring their land becomes their legacy.
Perkins-Valdez's writing is simple yet strong. I did crave less dialogue and a more evocative writing style that showcases the author's talent. The decision to tell this story through the two first-person voices—Nikki for the current timeline and Luella for the past timeline — had a powerful impact.
An immersion read, the audiobook is narrated by Bahani Turpin (Luella) and Ashley J. Hobbs (Nikki), who bring these two first-person voices to life perfectly.
Happy Land is a well-researched historical fiction story about a pivotal period in American history, specifically related to Emancipation and African-American history, that is worthy of much more attention. The Author's Note provides details about the actual Kingdom of the Happy Land, which serves as the basis for this fascinating story.
3.75⭐
Thank you to Berkley and Dolen Perkins-Valdez for the gifted DRC through NetGalley, and Penguin Random House for a hardcover copy through First Look Book Club's weekly giveaways. I'm grateful to my local library for the audiobook loan via Libby. This is my honest and voluntary review.
...beginning in the present day as estranged grandmother, Mother Rita, recounts to her granddaughter, Nikki, the story of a community of freedpeople who built an African kingdom of their own, complete with a king and queen, in the years after 1873. Nikki learns about her third great-grandmother, Queen Luella, their family's land, and the importance of protecting and reclaiming what is theirs...
This historical fiction family story, past and present, is entrenched in overcoming hardships through hard work, self-sacrifice, and community. Protecting and honoring their land becomes their legacy.
Perkins-Valdez's writing is simple yet strong. I did crave less dialogue and a more evocative writing style that showcases the author's talent. The decision to tell this story through the two first-person voices—Nikki for the current timeline and Luella for the past timeline — had a powerful impact.
An immersion read, the audiobook is narrated by Bahani Turpin (Luella) and Ashley J. Hobbs (Nikki), who bring these two first-person voices to life perfectly.
Happy Land is a well-researched historical fiction story about a pivotal period in American history, specifically related to Emancipation and African-American history, that is worthy of much more attention. The Author's Note provides details about the actual Kingdom of the Happy Land, which serves as the basis for this fascinating story.
3.75⭐
Thank you to Berkley and Dolen Perkins-Valdez for the gifted DRC through NetGalley, and Penguin Random House for a hardcover copy through First Look Book Club's weekly giveaways. I'm grateful to my local library for the audiobook loan via Libby. This is my honest and voluntary review.
April 23, 2025
A granddaughter is summoned to a small North Carolinian town by her estranged grandmother, where she is shocked to learn her family’s origin story and the history of the land on which the property resides.
I continue to be nothing short of impressed with novelist Dolen Perkins-Valdez and her gripping and evocative stories based on such vital moments in history. In this, her sophomore novel, she explores the sense of community building and connections formed in a small North Carolina town, between those who were formerly enslaved, now living in their own kingdom deemed “Happy Land.”
This is a story filled with sadness, and yet, is ultimately incredibly uplifting. I loved the idea that they brought a piece of their African heritage to North Carolina and created their own Kingdom there in NC.
While the narrators, both in the past and present, walk us through the legacy of the family and their land, as well as their rich family history, the underpinning that shines through is the idea of community and of finding those connections to the past. At its core, this story gives voices to the countless African American families who have lost the lands they worked to make their own. One element that worked so well stylistically is the parallel the author develops between how this family came to own the land and then lost it (in the past) and how they were able to take it back once again (in the present). Tying back in the hardships of today with those of the past.
This story is very character-driven, but in the best of ways. Our MC in the present, Nikki, struggles with a sense of isolation, her family no longer speaking to one another. And yet when she learns more about this large, interwoven family she never really knew she had, as well as their history, she feels a part of something so much bigger, no longer feeling alone as she had. And while romance is certainly not at the center of the story, it is the thread that is so beautifully weaved throughout much of these characters’ lives. There are a couple of truly remarkable love stories, one centered around the most romantic kind of love, and one of deep friendship, born from the hardships life had brought their way, both as heartbreaking as they are balm for the soul.
🎧 The audiobook, narrated by Bahni Turpin and Ashley J. Hobbs, is absolute perfection. They gave voice to each of these dynamic characters in such a powerful and unique way, and I found myself unable to put this book down the entire time I was reading it. I highly recommend doing this as an immersive read, audiobook combined with the physical book, for the best both formats have to offer.
Read if you like:
▪️Multi-generational stories
▪️Black history
▪️strong FMCs
▪️complex family dynamics
▪️dual timelines and POVs
▪️evocative writing
Thank you Berkley Pub and PRH Audio for the gifted copies.
I continue to be nothing short of impressed with novelist Dolen Perkins-Valdez and her gripping and evocative stories based on such vital moments in history. In this, her sophomore novel, she explores the sense of community building and connections formed in a small North Carolina town, between those who were formerly enslaved, now living in their own kingdom deemed “Happy Land.”
This is a story filled with sadness, and yet, is ultimately incredibly uplifting. I loved the idea that they brought a piece of their African heritage to North Carolina and created their own Kingdom there in NC.
While the narrators, both in the past and present, walk us through the legacy of the family and their land, as well as their rich family history, the underpinning that shines through is the idea of community and of finding those connections to the past. At its core, this story gives voices to the countless African American families who have lost the lands they worked to make their own. One element that worked so well stylistically is the parallel the author develops between how this family came to own the land and then lost it (in the past) and how they were able to take it back once again (in the present). Tying back in the hardships of today with those of the past.
This story is very character-driven, but in the best of ways. Our MC in the present, Nikki, struggles with a sense of isolation, her family no longer speaking to one another. And yet when she learns more about this large, interwoven family she never really knew she had, as well as their history, she feels a part of something so much bigger, no longer feeling alone as she had. And while romance is certainly not at the center of the story, it is the thread that is so beautifully weaved throughout much of these characters’ lives. There are a couple of truly remarkable love stories, one centered around the most romantic kind of love, and one of deep friendship, born from the hardships life had brought their way, both as heartbreaking as they are balm for the soul.
🎧 The audiobook, narrated by Bahni Turpin and Ashley J. Hobbs, is absolute perfection. They gave voice to each of these dynamic characters in such a powerful and unique way, and I found myself unable to put this book down the entire time I was reading it. I highly recommend doing this as an immersive read, audiobook combined with the physical book, for the best both formats have to offer.
Read if you like:
▪️Multi-generational stories
▪️Black history
▪️strong FMCs
▪️complex family dynamics
▪️dual timelines and POVs
▪️evocative writing
Thank you Berkley Pub and PRH Audio for the gifted copies.
December 31, 2025
Re-reading Happy Land for group discussion in the Goodreads group Literary Fiction By People of Color.
We begin our discussion tomorrow New Years Day!
Our first reading section runs through January 6...Chapters 1 - 8.
Read below to see how I felt reading this fabulous historical fiction novel first time around...
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
First of all the cover…come on.
As a lover of cover art this grabbed me from the start. Secondly, the title had me as well. So after reading the synopsis as a lover of historical fiction it went straight to my TBR.
Then not too long ago Eventbrite posted that this book would be read by The East Hampton Library Historical Fiction Book Club as their November read I immediately jumped on board. So very glad I did.
I fell in love with this heartwarming yet heartwrenching dual timeline story. A divorcee in her 40's from Washington DC is called by her grandmother Mama Rita to her home in the beautiful Carolina Appalachians with a plea for help. She summizes that her brittle and oft times cranky grandmother is requesting her to bridge a gaping hole between her mother and her grandmother that had existed for several decades. I did not expect to fall in love with Mother Rita but I did.
Happy Land is based on a built community of freed peoples. These were beautiful hard working black people who lived in The Carolinas. Even though they were free they were constantly being harrased, treated unfairly, accused of things they didn't do, beaten, imprisoned and oft times even left hanging by the neck from a tree. The Klu Klux Clan and other ugly spirited white people were who they desired to escape from. A well loved pastor and a pair of tall handsome brothers convinced a group of what ended being roughly 100 individuals climbed up a mountain and built themselves a community based on the African kingdoms they had knowledge of from their homelands. It was a group of good hearted hard working individuals trying to carve out something for themselves. They started with a King named William and a Queen named Luella. What is so exciting about this novel is that is based on a real community called Happy Land. These freepeoples in God's year of 1882 purchased 205 acres of land from a white woman and her son.
There are very complex relationships on both timelines. These caused for some morally grey characters in both timelines. These individuals were for the most part well intentioned people. Perkins-Valdez does a fabulous job with her character development.
Even though a place called Happy Land sounds like the basis for a fairy tale I never had to suspend my belief when reading this. Often I found myself wanting to be reading in the 1800's side of the story (who wouldn't want to spend their time in Happy Land) the current day happenings drew me in as well just not quite as strongly.
It was wonderful reading about these gritty and determined people, people who grabbed what little they had and made it into something very special. They loved their land so dearly and the author as she described it's beauty helped us to understand why. Each day these providential individuals who were fortunate enough to be part of the kingdom started their days hoping if they woke up with the determination to look at every day as an opportunity that if the put in theeir hard work good things should come their way. “The breeze sweeps over me. There's a lean hungry look to the sky, as if it still needs to fill itself up with the day.”...promise, promise and hope were what makes this such a special story.
We begin our discussion tomorrow New Years Day!
Our first reading section runs through January 6...Chapters 1 - 8.
Read below to see how I felt reading this fabulous historical fiction novel first time around...
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
First of all the cover…come on.
As a lover of cover art this grabbed me from the start. Secondly, the title had me as well. So after reading the synopsis as a lover of historical fiction it went straight to my TBR.
Then not too long ago Eventbrite posted that this book would be read by The East Hampton Library Historical Fiction Book Club as their November read I immediately jumped on board. So very glad I did.
I fell in love with this heartwarming yet heartwrenching dual timeline story. A divorcee in her 40's from Washington DC is called by her grandmother Mama Rita to her home in the beautiful Carolina Appalachians with a plea for help. She summizes that her brittle and oft times cranky grandmother is requesting her to bridge a gaping hole between her mother and her grandmother that had existed for several decades. I did not expect to fall in love with Mother Rita but I did.
Happy Land is based on a built community of freed peoples. These were beautiful hard working black people who lived in The Carolinas. Even though they were free they were constantly being harrased, treated unfairly, accused of things they didn't do, beaten, imprisoned and oft times even left hanging by the neck from a tree. The Klu Klux Clan and other ugly spirited white people were who they desired to escape from. A well loved pastor and a pair of tall handsome brothers convinced a group of what ended being roughly 100 individuals climbed up a mountain and built themselves a community based on the African kingdoms they had knowledge of from their homelands. It was a group of good hearted hard working individuals trying to carve out something for themselves. They started with a King named William and a Queen named Luella. What is so exciting about this novel is that is based on a real community called Happy Land. These freepeoples in God's year of 1882 purchased 205 acres of land from a white woman and her son.
There are very complex relationships on both timelines. These caused for some morally grey characters in both timelines. These individuals were for the most part well intentioned people. Perkins-Valdez does a fabulous job with her character development.
Even though a place called Happy Land sounds like the basis for a fairy tale I never had to suspend my belief when reading this. Often I found myself wanting to be reading in the 1800's side of the story (who wouldn't want to spend their time in Happy Land) the current day happenings drew me in as well just not quite as strongly.
It was wonderful reading about these gritty and determined people, people who grabbed what little they had and made it into something very special. They loved their land so dearly and the author as she described it's beauty helped us to understand why. Each day these providential individuals who were fortunate enough to be part of the kingdom started their days hoping if they woke up with the determination to look at every day as an opportunity that if the put in theeir hard work good things should come their way. “The breeze sweeps over me. There's a lean hungry look to the sky, as if it still needs to fill itself up with the day.”...promise, promise and hope were what makes this such a special story.
May 12, 2025
**Many thanks to Berkley and Dolen Perkins-Valdez for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**
"Some people look for a beautiful place, others make a place beautiful." - Hazrat Inayan Khan
While some were content to wait for the kingdom promised to them 'someday'...they knew that now was the time to claim a kingdom they could call their own...
Nikki doesn't quite understand the how and why of her mother and grandmother's long term estrangement...and the mystery has been eating at her for years. Her grandmother, better known to her as Mother Rita, has been absent for her life for some time due to the family strife, and Nikki has always been curious what could have transpired to lead to such a divide...but she is FINALLY about the learn the truth. Mother Rita invites Nikki to North Carolina, and when she arrives, she has no idea that the sign "Lovejoy Lane" means so much more than a simple marker of her family's land. What Ruth then begins to reveal is not just the origin of the family estrangement, but a story of bravery, love, and determination that will take her all the way back to the 1800s...and a very important ancestor, Queen Luella.
The Appalachian Hills were more than a respite for the formerly enslaved...they became a new place to call home. Along with hundreds of others, Luella made the brave journey away from the pain and degradation they had endured and decided to create a lasting legacy of their own. In homage to the kingdoms of Africa and their OWN ancestors, this group created a "Happy Land": a kingdom they could claim for themselves, and Luella becomes appointed as Queen with her husband, William, as the Happy Land's king. Although this setup seems idyllic, their path is far from straightforward, and Luella has to deal with conflict, abandonment, and a tangle of complicated emotions that leaves her questioning who and what she loves. On top of that, the group has to keep a hold on their Happy Land and the way of life they hope to keep, with obstacles continually mounting against them...and the land becoming increasingly difficult to keep in their grasp.
As past and present converge and this sacred land once again comes not only into question, but under threat of being lost forever, can Nikki and her family preserve and protect this important part of their heritage? Or will laws and inheritance rules tear away not only generational wealth, but the newly formed bond between granddaughter and grandmother that just might help to heal the deep wounds of the past?
This is the second book I've read this year about generational wealth and its effects in the black community this year (the first being Charmaine Wilkerson's Good Dirt), and my first read from Dolen Perkins-Valdez, so with these factors in mind, I was a bit worried about this read feeling a bit repetitive, redundant, or stale. I am thrilled to say that this book was not only different, but was a breath of fresh air by comparison, imbued with a firm sense of grounded, accessible, and easy-to-read storytelling that got me IMMERSED in the Happy Land...and not wanting to leave!
When it comes to historical fiction and a dual timeline, this can often be a pain point for me as a reader. So often it feels like an author gives SUCH preference to one timeline over the other (and let's face it, this is normally the 'past' timeline - it IS called historical fiction, after all) that there is a true lack of balance and not always the most cohesive connections. Oftentimes it can even feel jarring after several chapters to suddenly be bounced back to present day, and almost remove the reader from the experience of the past and all of the world-building taking place. But in Happy Land, Perkins-Valdez has JUST the right touch - we never spend too long in the past OR the present all in one go. The breaks feel natural, much the way they do in the film version of Titanic, for example - we stay enraptured by Rose's past while remaining invested in the present. The stakes are high, and it's easy to become emotionally invested in the future of Mother Rita and Nikki's nascent relationship, built on such fragile and uncertain shared ground.
Perkins-Valdez's characters also help sell the message - we become enmeshed in Luella's journey and the difficult decisions she faces, practically from page one, and the heavy weight of carrying the kingdom on her shoulders despite her uncertainty and a lack of TRUE decision making power. Without giving anything away, Luella has to balance being thrust into a position she isn't quite ready for and often has to face most of her most challenging moments alone. This coupled with Nikki's discoveries and Mother Rita's journey toward acceptance of her complicated past and hope for her future. With both of these women fighting for the legacy, the ghosts of the past help to fuel their inner fire.
Another bright spot for this particular novel is that unlike in Good Dirt, I felt more connected to these characters and their determination to keep their land, and felt I was better able to understand the story this time after having had a prior introduction to the issues surrounding heirs' property and the subsequent loss of generational wealth. In many black families, heirs' property, where land is passed down through generations without clear legal title, can lead to disputes and forced sales, eroding wealth. In many cases, probate does not clear, and can lead to a gap in wealth between these families and wealthy families that unfortunately survives generations and affects families even today. While it is odd to have two contemporaries writing about the same topic to some extent, this perhaps points to a gap in knowledge that NEEDS to be shouted from the rooftops, and both Wilkerson and Perkins-Valdez clearly did their research and made what could be a complicated topic to explain very accessible.
And while this book may refer to a very specific Happy Land, it could also be said that with these strong, resilient, and beautiful souls, they could find a way to be Happy...no matter where they might Land.
4 stars
"Some people look for a beautiful place, others make a place beautiful." - Hazrat Inayan Khan
While some were content to wait for the kingdom promised to them 'someday'...they knew that now was the time to claim a kingdom they could call their own...
Nikki doesn't quite understand the how and why of her mother and grandmother's long term estrangement...and the mystery has been eating at her for years. Her grandmother, better known to her as Mother Rita, has been absent for her life for some time due to the family strife, and Nikki has always been curious what could have transpired to lead to such a divide...but she is FINALLY about the learn the truth. Mother Rita invites Nikki to North Carolina, and when she arrives, she has no idea that the sign "Lovejoy Lane" means so much more than a simple marker of her family's land. What Ruth then begins to reveal is not just the origin of the family estrangement, but a story of bravery, love, and determination that will take her all the way back to the 1800s...and a very important ancestor, Queen Luella.
The Appalachian Hills were more than a respite for the formerly enslaved...they became a new place to call home. Along with hundreds of others, Luella made the brave journey away from the pain and degradation they had endured and decided to create a lasting legacy of their own. In homage to the kingdoms of Africa and their OWN ancestors, this group created a "Happy Land": a kingdom they could claim for themselves, and Luella becomes appointed as Queen with her husband, William, as the Happy Land's king. Although this setup seems idyllic, their path is far from straightforward, and Luella has to deal with conflict, abandonment, and a tangle of complicated emotions that leaves her questioning who and what she loves. On top of that, the group has to keep a hold on their Happy Land and the way of life they hope to keep, with obstacles continually mounting against them...and the land becoming increasingly difficult to keep in their grasp.
As past and present converge and this sacred land once again comes not only into question, but under threat of being lost forever, can Nikki and her family preserve and protect this important part of their heritage? Or will laws and inheritance rules tear away not only generational wealth, but the newly formed bond between granddaughter and grandmother that just might help to heal the deep wounds of the past?
This is the second book I've read this year about generational wealth and its effects in the black community this year (the first being Charmaine Wilkerson's Good Dirt), and my first read from Dolen Perkins-Valdez, so with these factors in mind, I was a bit worried about this read feeling a bit repetitive, redundant, or stale. I am thrilled to say that this book was not only different, but was a breath of fresh air by comparison, imbued with a firm sense of grounded, accessible, and easy-to-read storytelling that got me IMMERSED in the Happy Land...and not wanting to leave!
When it comes to historical fiction and a dual timeline, this can often be a pain point for me as a reader. So often it feels like an author gives SUCH preference to one timeline over the other (and let's face it, this is normally the 'past' timeline - it IS called historical fiction, after all) that there is a true lack of balance and not always the most cohesive connections. Oftentimes it can even feel jarring after several chapters to suddenly be bounced back to present day, and almost remove the reader from the experience of the past and all of the world-building taking place. But in Happy Land, Perkins-Valdez has JUST the right touch - we never spend too long in the past OR the present all in one go. The breaks feel natural, much the way they do in the film version of Titanic, for example - we stay enraptured by Rose's past while remaining invested in the present. The stakes are high, and it's easy to become emotionally invested in the future of Mother Rita and Nikki's nascent relationship, built on such fragile and uncertain shared ground.
Perkins-Valdez's characters also help sell the message - we become enmeshed in Luella's journey and the difficult decisions she faces, practically from page one, and the heavy weight of carrying the kingdom on her shoulders despite her uncertainty and a lack of TRUE decision making power. Without giving anything away, Luella has to balance being thrust into a position she isn't quite ready for and often has to face most of her most challenging moments alone. This coupled with Nikki's discoveries and Mother Rita's journey toward acceptance of her complicated past and hope for her future. With both of these women fighting for the legacy, the ghosts of the past help to fuel their inner fire.
Another bright spot for this particular novel is that unlike in Good Dirt, I felt more connected to these characters and their determination to keep their land, and felt I was better able to understand the story this time after having had a prior introduction to the issues surrounding heirs' property and the subsequent loss of generational wealth. In many black families, heirs' property, where land is passed down through generations without clear legal title, can lead to disputes and forced sales, eroding wealth. In many cases, probate does not clear, and can lead to a gap in wealth between these families and wealthy families that unfortunately survives generations and affects families even today. While it is odd to have two contemporaries writing about the same topic to some extent, this perhaps points to a gap in knowledge that NEEDS to be shouted from the rooftops, and both Wilkerson and Perkins-Valdez clearly did their research and made what could be a complicated topic to explain very accessible.
And while this book may refer to a very specific Happy Land, it could also be said that with these strong, resilient, and beautiful souls, they could find a way to be Happy...no matter where they might Land.
4 stars
January 5, 2025
Every once in awhile, a writer comes along that impresses you so much that you want to tell the world to read her books. Dolen Perkins-Valdez is that kind of author. Having read and loved "Take My Hand", I was so excited to get a chance to read her new book "Happy Land" that will be published April 8, 2025. I'm sitting here with a smile because this was a heartwarming story based on an actual event. After the end of the Civil War, former slaves settled outside Hendersonville, NC on a mountain they called The Kingdom of the Happy Land. This dual timeline story of Luella Montgomery in 1882 and her present day ancestors as they struggle to preserve the land that has been in their family for generations. Exceptionally well drawn characters are recognizable in their strength, determination and human fragility as they work together to build and hold on to what is theirs. I love historical fiction that teaches you about events you knew nothing about - and sends you searching the internet to verify that yes, this really happened. This book does that with wonderfully strong resilent women at the forefront of this novel. A satisfying read that would make a wonderful choice for reading groups. I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 5, 2025
Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing for the eARC!
What an incredible book! Dolen Perkins-Valdez has such a way with words and storytelling. Happy Land is the story of free people that built their own kingdom with it's own King and Queen. This is a story. based on a true events told from a dual-timeline POV. One of my biggest takeaways from this story is that you dreams are never too far out of reach and to keep you imagination alive. Even the most far-fetched can become a reality.
I love this multi-generational story. It is told from the perspective of Nikki, who has been called by her grandmother, Mother Rita, for help in North Carolina. Nikki takes the opportunity to find out some other information that has caused a rift in her family and ends up learning way more than she could've imagined. We also get the POV of Luella, Nikki's great-great-great grandmother and the Queen of Happy Land.
I really love the dual timelines of the story and how everything connected. I loved Nikki's character and really empathized with her. She really grew as a person, starting as someone who felt somewhat lost and complacent, while still wanting more for her own daughter. By the end of the story she grew so much and found a new life coming into her own. It's never too late to find yourself and find new things to fulfill you. As stubborn as Mother Rita was, I think the bond she forms with Nikki in the short time was beautiful. My favorite part of the story was always Luella's POV. Luella was a young girl and she was thrust into the role as Queen. Overtime the people of Happy Land really looked to her as a guiding light and she never gave up hope even in tough situations that seemed impossible to overcome. It was inspiring.
I also found this book very informative . It made me think of landownership and how much has been lost from our ancestors due to shady business and laws. In the author's note alone I feel like I learned a lot lol. I definitely find this subject really interesting and I find it especially interesting that Happy Land was a real place. I had never heard of this Kingdom until I read this book and I'm excited to learn more about it in general.
What an incredible book! Dolen Perkins-Valdez has such a way with words and storytelling. Happy Land is the story of free people that built their own kingdom with it's own King and Queen. This is a story. based on a true events told from a dual-timeline POV. One of my biggest takeaways from this story is that you dreams are never too far out of reach and to keep you imagination alive. Even the most far-fetched can become a reality.
I love this multi-generational story. It is told from the perspective of Nikki, who has been called by her grandmother, Mother Rita, for help in North Carolina. Nikki takes the opportunity to find out some other information that has caused a rift in her family and ends up learning way more than she could've imagined. We also get the POV of Luella, Nikki's great-great-great grandmother and the Queen of Happy Land.
I really love the dual timelines of the story and how everything connected. I loved Nikki's character and really empathized with her. She really grew as a person, starting as someone who felt somewhat lost and complacent, while still wanting more for her own daughter. By the end of the story she grew so much and found a new life coming into her own. It's never too late to find yourself and find new things to fulfill you. As stubborn as Mother Rita was, I think the bond she forms with Nikki in the short time was beautiful. My favorite part of the story was always Luella's POV. Luella was a young girl and she was thrust into the role as Queen. Overtime the people of Happy Land really looked to her as a guiding light and she never gave up hope even in tough situations that seemed impossible to overcome. It was inspiring.
I also found this book very informative . It made me think of landownership and how much has been lost from our ancestors due to shady business and laws. In the author's note alone I feel like I learned a lot lol. I definitely find this subject really interesting and I find it especially interesting that Happy Land was a real place. I had never heard of this Kingdom until I read this book and I'm excited to learn more about it in general.
July 22, 2025
3.5 Stars
Have you ever started a book and thought, “Yeah, this is good,” but then realized… you just weren’t in the mood for it? You’re enjoying it in theory, but in practice, your brain keeps drifting to the million other books on your TBR. Like just thinking about them has already cast a spell on you that you can’t quite shake.
Classic mood reading, right?
Happy Land—now that’s a title that cast an instant charm on me. A book named Happy Land, about a place called the Kingdom of the Happy Land. Say no more. I was already halfway to packing my bags. It had all the right ingredients for a magical brew: solid writing, vivid characters, and an intriguing premise.
And honestly It was good. I kept trying to stay in the story, but that lingering spell just wouldn’t let go. Not because of the book—it wasn’t lacking—but because my reading energy just wasn’t aligned.
So what do you do when the spell fizzles out? Do you stir the cauldron a little longer, or hop off your broomstick and follow the tug of another book?
For now, I’m pressing pause. . I’m not giving it a bad rating or review. I’m about halfway through, and when the mood magic returns, I might just dive back into the Kingdom.
Because sometimes, it’s not about the book—it’s about the timing.
Happy mood reading, witches and friends!!!!
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
Have you ever started a book and thought, “Yeah, this is good,” but then realized… you just weren’t in the mood for it? You’re enjoying it in theory, but in practice, your brain keeps drifting to the million other books on your TBR. Like just thinking about them has already cast a spell on you that you can’t quite shake.
Classic mood reading, right?
Happy Land—now that’s a title that cast an instant charm on me. A book named Happy Land, about a place called the Kingdom of the Happy Land. Say no more. I was already halfway to packing my bags. It had all the right ingredients for a magical brew: solid writing, vivid characters, and an intriguing premise.
And honestly It was good. I kept trying to stay in the story, but that lingering spell just wouldn’t let go. Not because of the book—it wasn’t lacking—but because my reading energy just wasn’t aligned.
So what do you do when the spell fizzles out? Do you stir the cauldron a little longer, or hop off your broomstick and follow the tug of another book?
For now, I’m pressing pause. . I’m not giving it a bad rating or review. I’m about halfway through, and when the mood magic returns, I might just dive back into the Kingdom.
Because sometimes, it’s not about the book—it’s about the timing.
Happy mood reading, witches and friends!!!!
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
July 28, 2025
Happy Land By Dolen Perkins-Valdez
★★★★★
Stunning. Lures you in, then explodes. Bittersweet, bold, and unforgettable.
You’re almost 40. Your life is a pseudo mess. You’re facing a mini identity crisis. You have a daughter. You have a mother. You’ve lost your father - and your husband too, but to divorce. You live in D.C. Your dates haven’t been great. Your friends say you look sad. You also have a grandmother - estranged, distant. You and your mother haven’t heard from her in years. Then she calls.
She says: Come.
Come now. To North Carolina.
You are Nikki - our present-day protagonist in Happy Land.
In Happy land Dolen dissects a dark traumatic history with warmth, precision, knowledge, and light. I loved so many things about this book. It had many of the ingredients I adore in great literature:
Clear writing
That isn’t cheap or overly flowery. Every word feels intentional. Dolen writes with precision - you can tell she knows not just what she wants to do on the page, but how. There’s urgency in her prose, but it’s well wrapped with warmth. A rare combination. Few writers can pull this off, but she does - and gracefully.
Dual narratives with distinct souls
Happy Land features a dual storyline that ultimately converges. Each thread has its own tempo, mood, and emotional tone, creating a textured, layered reading experience. It doesn’t feel like one story stretched thin - it feels like two fully realized worlds speaking to each other across time.
Female characters who don’t lean
Writing women well - especially in literary fiction - is an art. It’s deceptively easy to miss. Some writers lean on tropes of strength - schemers, survivors, action drivers - but often forget that strong women aren’t always loud or combative.
In Happy Land, the women stand like Iroko trees. They don’t lean. They don’t beg to be noticed. They are.
Nikki, for instance, is sad and somewhat reserved, but she walks her story without using anyone as a crutch. She is quietly powerful. The kind of protagonist who holds space without filling it with noise. This book reminded me that well-written female characters don’t just challenge norms - they simply live outside them.
Rooted in facts and realism
Without giving much away, Happy Land is inspired by a real Black kingdom that once existed. The narrative is steeped in both history and contemporary realities. It reflects systemic struggles without resorting to victimhood.
There’s no preaching - just precision and clarity: This happened. This is happening.
Dolen - an Harvard alum and a GWU PhD (Go revs!) says “my goal as a writer is to literally unearth stories that normally people wouldn’t know about. I feel like that’s my calling. I feel like it’s what I do best.” And she does that well. . . in fact so well.
Artistic storytelling with historical weight
This is my first book by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, but from what I’ve gathered, her stories are often rooted in historical truths. In Wench, she explores the lives of enslaved women taken to vacation resorts. In Take My Hand, she dives into reproductive injustice in the 70s. In Happy Land, she resurrects a forgotten kingdom from the 1800s. What’s impressive is how she tells these stories with flair, especially in Luella’s arc. Many authors feel so beholden to truth that they write with restraint. But Dolen balances reverence with creativity. The result is luminous.
One of the central themes in Happy Land is identity - not just personal, but collective identity. Who are we in the context of our lineage? Of a history we didn’t choose, but inherited? And how does understanding how we came to be shape who we become?
The novel also delves deeply into legacy and inheritance - what do we pass on, both consciously and unconsciously? How do systems - economic, cultural, social - shape what survives and what disappears? What gets remembered, and what gets erased?
Motherhood and generational memory are equally powerful threads. Dolen Perkins-Valdez tenderly explores the fragile, and at times fractured, connections between mothers and daughters - and the ways that memory travels, or doesn’t, across generations. What we choose to carry, what we choose to forget, and what resurfaces despite our silence.
And then there’s resistance through existence, captured beautifully in one of my favorite characters: Mother Rita. Sometimes, just being is a form of defiance. Sometimes, choosing to remember - to hold the line on what the world would rather forget - is the most radical thing a person can do.
At its core, Happy Land is a quietly powerful David-and-Goliath story, with a touch of a Nehemiah arc - the kind of restoration narrative that rebuilds not just places, but people. What begins as a story about a woman answering a phone call quickly unfolds into a deeply personal revolution: a resistance against erasure, against silence, and against the slow forgetting of a people’s worth. It’s not a loud rebellion - It’s organic. It draws you in with warmth and ease, but as the layers peel back, the emotional weight intensifies. You might need a tissue box - and a moment to reflect on your own lineage, losses, and interior landscape.
In the end, Happy Land defines happiness. It reminds us that the emotion is rooted, not in what life does to us but in who we are.
Some of my Favorite Quotes:
“A family tree isn’t just something you draw on paper. It’s an actual tree planted in the ground, with bark for skin and branches for arms. It’s the earth pushed up into the sky. It’s the physical manifestation of dreams.”
“To read was to have the language to ask for the things you wanted, so I became determined to teach myself.”
“I’m just trying to find my great-great-great-grandmother and I’ve gotta wade through trauma. Maybe this is why a lot of Black people don’t know our history. Just the search requires fortitude.”
★★★★★
Stunning. Lures you in, then explodes. Bittersweet, bold, and unforgettable.
You’re almost 40. Your life is a pseudo mess. You’re facing a mini identity crisis. You have a daughter. You have a mother. You’ve lost your father - and your husband too, but to divorce. You live in D.C. Your dates haven’t been great. Your friends say you look sad. You also have a grandmother - estranged, distant. You and your mother haven’t heard from her in years. Then she calls.
She says: Come.
Come now. To North Carolina.
You are Nikki - our present-day protagonist in Happy Land.
In Happy land Dolen dissects a dark traumatic history with warmth, precision, knowledge, and light. I loved so many things about this book. It had many of the ingredients I adore in great literature:
Clear writing
That isn’t cheap or overly flowery. Every word feels intentional. Dolen writes with precision - you can tell she knows not just what she wants to do on the page, but how. There’s urgency in her prose, but it’s well wrapped with warmth. A rare combination. Few writers can pull this off, but she does - and gracefully.
Dual narratives with distinct souls
Happy Land features a dual storyline that ultimately converges. Each thread has its own tempo, mood, and emotional tone, creating a textured, layered reading experience. It doesn’t feel like one story stretched thin - it feels like two fully realized worlds speaking to each other across time.
Female characters who don’t lean
Writing women well - especially in literary fiction - is an art. It’s deceptively easy to miss. Some writers lean on tropes of strength - schemers, survivors, action drivers - but often forget that strong women aren’t always loud or combative.
In Happy Land, the women stand like Iroko trees. They don’t lean. They don’t beg to be noticed. They are.
Nikki, for instance, is sad and somewhat reserved, but she walks her story without using anyone as a crutch. She is quietly powerful. The kind of protagonist who holds space without filling it with noise. This book reminded me that well-written female characters don’t just challenge norms - they simply live outside them.
Rooted in facts and realism
Without giving much away, Happy Land is inspired by a real Black kingdom that once existed. The narrative is steeped in both history and contemporary realities. It reflects systemic struggles without resorting to victimhood.
There’s no preaching - just precision and clarity: This happened. This is happening.
Dolen - an Harvard alum and a GWU PhD (Go revs!) says “my goal as a writer is to literally unearth stories that normally people wouldn’t know about. I feel like that’s my calling. I feel like it’s what I do best.” And she does that well. . . in fact so well.
Artistic storytelling with historical weight
This is my first book by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, but from what I’ve gathered, her stories are often rooted in historical truths. In Wench, she explores the lives of enslaved women taken to vacation resorts. In Take My Hand, she dives into reproductive injustice in the 70s. In Happy Land, she resurrects a forgotten kingdom from the 1800s. What’s impressive is how she tells these stories with flair, especially in Luella’s arc. Many authors feel so beholden to truth that they write with restraint. But Dolen balances reverence with creativity. The result is luminous.
One of the central themes in Happy Land is identity - not just personal, but collective identity. Who are we in the context of our lineage? Of a history we didn’t choose, but inherited? And how does understanding how we came to be shape who we become?
The novel also delves deeply into legacy and inheritance - what do we pass on, both consciously and unconsciously? How do systems - economic, cultural, social - shape what survives and what disappears? What gets remembered, and what gets erased?
Motherhood and generational memory are equally powerful threads. Dolen Perkins-Valdez tenderly explores the fragile, and at times fractured, connections between mothers and daughters - and the ways that memory travels, or doesn’t, across generations. What we choose to carry, what we choose to forget, and what resurfaces despite our silence.
And then there’s resistance through existence, captured beautifully in one of my favorite characters: Mother Rita. Sometimes, just being is a form of defiance. Sometimes, choosing to remember - to hold the line on what the world would rather forget - is the most radical thing a person can do.
At its core, Happy Land is a quietly powerful David-and-Goliath story, with a touch of a Nehemiah arc - the kind of restoration narrative that rebuilds not just places, but people. What begins as a story about a woman answering a phone call quickly unfolds into a deeply personal revolution: a resistance against erasure, against silence, and against the slow forgetting of a people’s worth. It’s not a loud rebellion - It’s organic. It draws you in with warmth and ease, but as the layers peel back, the emotional weight intensifies. You might need a tissue box - and a moment to reflect on your own lineage, losses, and interior landscape.
In the end, Happy Land defines happiness. It reminds us that the emotion is rooted, not in what life does to us but in who we are.
Some of my Favorite Quotes:
“A family tree isn’t just something you draw on paper. It’s an actual tree planted in the ground, with bark for skin and branches for arms. It’s the earth pushed up into the sky. It’s the physical manifestation of dreams.”
“To read was to have the language to ask for the things you wanted, so I became determined to teach myself.”
“I’m just trying to find my great-great-great-grandmother and I’ve gotta wade through trauma. Maybe this is why a lot of Black people don’t know our history. Just the search requires fortitude.”
January 30, 2025
I snatched this up after absolutely loving Take My Hand. Sadly, I didn’t love this one. At the risk of spoiling things,
If anyone knows any interesting audiobooks on the subject of these intentional Black communities after slavery was abolished or stolen land (nonfiction selections about gentrification included) I would love to give them a listen.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
If anyone knows any interesting audiobooks on the subject of these intentional Black communities after slavery was abolished or stolen land (nonfiction selections about gentrification included) I would love to give them a listen.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 8, 2025
Thanks so much to @berkleypub for the free book! #BerkleyPartner
I love that whenever I read a Dolen Perkins-Valdez novel I walk away filled with a deep sense of gratitude for the ancestors and I shock myself by realizing I also tend to feel empathy for them as well; these bold people who lived their lives balancing their boldness with their fear in a way I haven't been able to manage as an adult and the descendent of their sacrifices, who's inherited the benefits of many of their sacrifices but seemingly none of their ability to persevere and "do it scared." The "do it scared" mentality is absent from so many of the Black people I know, and we often talk ourselves out of trying new experiences, meeting new people, and putting ourselves out there because of fear. Our ancestors were swindled and terrorized and preyed upon and lied to and denigrated and demeaned and persecuted and brutalized and dehumanized and commodified and enslaved and then hunted for daring to live freely, and everything they did, they did scared. I am honored to be descended from such strength and appreciate the swift kick in the butt this book served as.
Happy Land is truly beautiful novel. Dual timelines flash between present day and the time our ancestors fought to make a life for themselves and white Americans behaved in ways not dissimilar from current events. The way this book ties these commonalities into today, how current laws uphold customs set by truly barbaric people who should not have led the charge on any lawmaking or decision-making on what is proper and just, how the popular majority presently is willing to throw away years of progress to uphold these laws and customs wasn't at all heavy-handed, and served as a timely and poignant connection.
The storyline of how Black Americans have allowed ourselves to become disconnected from the bloodline, sense of community, and the land as a whole was a punch in the chest and a wake up call. I hope people my age and younger allow the messaging within to sink in so we can hold each other accountable. Perkins-Valdez carefully threads a story between multiple generations of a bloodline that is devastating and beautiful, hopeful and horrifying. I cannot even state enough how beautiful the writing is, how important this story is and is going to be for many years to come. Queen Luella and Happy Land will be in my heart forever.
I want to read it again and try not to cry so much next time!
5 ⭐️s
🚨 Pub Date: 04/08/25
I love that whenever I read a Dolen Perkins-Valdez novel I walk away filled with a deep sense of gratitude for the ancestors and I shock myself by realizing I also tend to feel empathy for them as well; these bold people who lived their lives balancing their boldness with their fear in a way I haven't been able to manage as an adult and the descendent of their sacrifices, who's inherited the benefits of many of their sacrifices but seemingly none of their ability to persevere and "do it scared." The "do it scared" mentality is absent from so many of the Black people I know, and we often talk ourselves out of trying new experiences, meeting new people, and putting ourselves out there because of fear. Our ancestors were swindled and terrorized and preyed upon and lied to and denigrated and demeaned and persecuted and brutalized and dehumanized and commodified and enslaved and then hunted for daring to live freely, and everything they did, they did scared. I am honored to be descended from such strength and appreciate the swift kick in the butt this book served as.
Happy Land is truly beautiful novel. Dual timelines flash between present day and the time our ancestors fought to make a life for themselves and white Americans behaved in ways not dissimilar from current events. The way this book ties these commonalities into today, how current laws uphold customs set by truly barbaric people who should not have led the charge on any lawmaking or decision-making on what is proper and just, how the popular majority presently is willing to throw away years of progress to uphold these laws and customs wasn't at all heavy-handed, and served as a timely and poignant connection.
The storyline of how Black Americans have allowed ourselves to become disconnected from the bloodline, sense of community, and the land as a whole was a punch in the chest and a wake up call. I hope people my age and younger allow the messaging within to sink in so we can hold each other accountable. Perkins-Valdez carefully threads a story between multiple generations of a bloodline that is devastating and beautiful, hopeful and horrifying. I cannot even state enough how beautiful the writing is, how important this story is and is going to be for many years to come. Queen Luella and Happy Land will be in my heart forever.
I want to read it again and try not to cry so much next time!
5 ⭐️s
🚨 Pub Date: 04/08/25
April 7, 2025
"I'm learning new things about myself each day. I had a late start, but there is time to make it up."
This is an evocative and richly layered story, filled with longing, love, hope and the strength of women who dare to want more.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
Dolen Perkins-Valdez is a writer who has a true grift with the way she can weave history, emotion, heartache, hope, love and even everyday life into a story that you will find yourself physically attached to.
I also found myself even more drawn into the story by a sense of urgency thrumming beneath every chapter, as the characters are forced to confront painful truths and make a choices that will possibly alter everything they have ever known.
I wanted to dive down the Google rabbit hole as soon as I started this book since Happy Land really did exist post slavery, and I wanted to learn so much more. However, I wisely waited so I wouldn’t create any spoilers and I am still looking up more about this community.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
Bahni Turpin and Ashley J. Hobbs mesmerizing narration captures the raw intensity of both Nikki and Luella’s journeys.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Dual Timelines
Dual POV
Historical Fiction
Based on true history
Family Secrets
Strong/Empowering Women
Self Discovery
Strong Community
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Fast! This is a story you won’t want to put down and Kaley and I had so much to discuss with this book!
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
This is one of those books you can feel is going to be 5 stars early on in the book, and I love to learn about history is through books like these. Definitely read Happy Land now!
Thank you PRH Audio for this gifted audiobook.
This is an evocative and richly layered story, filled with longing, love, hope and the strength of women who dare to want more.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
Dolen Perkins-Valdez is a writer who has a true grift with the way she can weave history, emotion, heartache, hope, love and even everyday life into a story that you will find yourself physically attached to.
I also found myself even more drawn into the story by a sense of urgency thrumming beneath every chapter, as the characters are forced to confront painful truths and make a choices that will possibly alter everything they have ever known.
I wanted to dive down the Google rabbit hole as soon as I started this book since Happy Land really did exist post slavery, and I wanted to learn so much more. However, I wisely waited so I wouldn’t create any spoilers and I am still looking up more about this community.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
Bahni Turpin and Ashley J. Hobbs mesmerizing narration captures the raw intensity of both Nikki and Luella’s journeys.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Dual Timelines
Dual POV
Historical Fiction
Based on true history
Family Secrets
Strong/Empowering Women
Self Discovery
Strong Community
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Fast! This is a story you won’t want to put down and Kaley and I had so much to discuss with this book!
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
This is one of those books you can feel is going to be 5 stars early on in the book, and I love to learn about history is through books like these. Definitely read Happy Land now!
Thank you PRH Audio for this gifted audiobook.
May 12, 2025
What in the WORLD was this!!!!!!! 🤬 I am shocked that Happy Land was allegedly written by the author of Take My Hand, one of my favorite 2022 reads. Like WHAT HAPPENED?!?! Where is the nuanced, layered, and deeply intimate Southern historical fiction??? How is it possible to go from such a promising novel to a new book that’s only slightly better than another terrible Carolina-family-legacy-fantasy book I read a few weeks back? (To be fair, comparing Happy Land to The Thing About Home is a low blow that is slightly dramatic. That one was CHRISTIAN FICTION with more patriarchal nonsense than I care to rehash. Whatever this one is, it isn’t that bleak.)
Okay so for starters, the narrative voice here was a way too close first person that was so blunt it became grating. I kept screaming PLEASE SHOW DON’T TELL in my head, and at some points, I literally thought I was being pranked!!! On page 88: “This might be kingdom land, but it’s also crazyland.” On page 282: “Mama is right. Mother Rita is conflating the land and the family. Mother Rita took Mama’s departure as personal, rather than as a young woman finding her own way.” Like I just remembered Dolen Perkins-Valdez being SUCH a better writer than this. I fear we might already be in the age of AI authors, and I trulyyyyyy hate it here.
The book’s politics also sucked, which was surprising as I thought Perkins-Valdez was just so astute at criticizing a certain type of Black middle class propriety in Take My Hand. Here though, we never really move past monarchy cosplay and very loose connections to “African royalty.” I know she was working within the limits of a real place and subject matter, but as a novelist, there were just so many places she could’ve added more depth, I think. There’s this incredible community that should take on so much more life than it does, but Happy Land just never shone in the way it could have. I also hated what the kingdom became in the modern story, like just a reminder for the characters to feel “inspired” enough to become college graduates? It felt so unfair to the promise of the story, and to the real virtues of the elder Lovejoys and Montgomerys (which had nothing to do with anybody’s university, LOL.)
My greatest complaint is beyond this book, alone. I just do not understand why so many Black Southern novels coming out in the last few years, PARTICULARLY ones about the Carolinas, feel so uninspired and detached from reality. Like WHY are GROWN WOMEN in their thirties and forties going years without speaking to their grandmothers?!?!? Why is every resolution to these stories “living off the land” in some unsustainable Hallmark meets Queen Sugar fantasy? As someone who has lived in North Carolina for the past 6 years and grew up between SC and MD, I *know* there are compelling stories about reverse migration and southern land stewardship out there!!! I hear them everyday when talking to friends and family and even strangers. It makes me so upset because there are unknown numbers of compelling, realistic stories to be told about these topics, but they are just NEVER the stories receiving book deals from the Big 5. I think all this is why I was so blown away by Redwood Court by DéLana R.A. Dameron. Like it’s just so rare for someone to carefully, thoughtfully, accurately, and ORIGINALLY tell these sorts of modern Southern stories. I cannot wait until more people are writing more stuff like that, and less stuff like this!!
In closing, WOULD NOT RECOMMEND unless you just read everything in this genre. I want better for us as readers, and I will keep searching for it and appreciating it when I do find it!! In the meantime, I fear Dolen Perkins-Valdez might be coming off my favorite authors list...
Okay so for starters, the narrative voice here was a way too close first person that was so blunt it became grating. I kept screaming PLEASE SHOW DON’T TELL in my head, and at some points, I literally thought I was being pranked!!! On page 88: “This might be kingdom land, but it’s also crazyland.” On page 282: “Mama is right. Mother Rita is conflating the land and the family. Mother Rita took Mama’s departure as personal, rather than as a young woman finding her own way.” Like I just remembered Dolen Perkins-Valdez being SUCH a better writer than this. I fear we might already be in the age of AI authors, and I trulyyyyyy hate it here.
The book’s politics also sucked, which was surprising as I thought Perkins-Valdez was just so astute at criticizing a certain type of Black middle class propriety in Take My Hand. Here though, we never really move past monarchy cosplay and very loose connections to “African royalty.” I know she was working within the limits of a real place and subject matter, but as a novelist, there were just so many places she could’ve added more depth, I think. There’s this incredible community that should take on so much more life than it does, but Happy Land just never shone in the way it could have. I also hated what the kingdom became in the modern story, like just a reminder for the characters to feel “inspired” enough to become college graduates? It felt so unfair to the promise of the story, and to the real virtues of the elder Lovejoys and Montgomerys (which had nothing to do with anybody’s university, LOL.)
My greatest complaint is beyond this book, alone. I just do not understand why so many Black Southern novels coming out in the last few years, PARTICULARLY ones about the Carolinas, feel so uninspired and detached from reality. Like WHY are GROWN WOMEN in their thirties and forties going years without speaking to their grandmothers?!?!? Why is every resolution to these stories “living off the land” in some unsustainable Hallmark meets Queen Sugar fantasy? As someone who has lived in North Carolina for the past 6 years and grew up between SC and MD, I *know* there are compelling stories about reverse migration and southern land stewardship out there!!! I hear them everyday when talking to friends and family and even strangers. It makes me so upset because there are unknown numbers of compelling, realistic stories to be told about these topics, but they are just NEVER the stories receiving book deals from the Big 5. I think all this is why I was so blown away by Redwood Court by DéLana R.A. Dameron. Like it’s just so rare for someone to carefully, thoughtfully, accurately, and ORIGINALLY tell these sorts of modern Southern stories. I cannot wait until more people are writing more stuff like that, and less stuff like this!!
In closing, WOULD NOT RECOMMEND unless you just read everything in this genre. I want better for us as readers, and I will keep searching for it and appreciating it when I do find it!! In the meantime, I fear Dolen Perkins-Valdez might be coming off my favorite authors list...
April 30, 2025
HAPPY LAND by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
thank you Berkley Pub for my gifted copies.
Happy Land was one of my most anticipated books of the year, so it pains me to deliver anything less than a stellar review. Like its predecessor, Happy Land is also inspired by true events. This dual-timeline story is a fictionalized account of the real-life "Kingdom of the Happy Land," an intentional community established by formerly enslaved Black Americans in the late 19th century.
I am fascinated by intentional communities, and found that aspect so interesting! I was inspired and deeply moved by the tenacity and resilience of the kingdomfolk! And I'm endlessly grateful that Perkins-Valdez shed much-needed light on this little-known piece of U.S. history.
That said, after experiencing the brilliance of Take My Hand, Happy Land fell a bit short of my high expectations. It felt like a missed opportunity to go deeper, and to do more. The writing itself felt overly simple, and I craved the same depth the author delivered in Take My Hand. Additionally, certain aspects within the modern timeline felt unnecessary. Keep in mind that I read this with my eyes, and perhaps the audiobook would've been a better fit. Either way, I am clearly an outlier in my opinion because it's receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews, so I'd still recommend it. 💕
thank you Berkley Pub for my gifted copies.
Happy Land was one of my most anticipated books of the year, so it pains me to deliver anything less than a stellar review. Like its predecessor, Happy Land is also inspired by true events. This dual-timeline story is a fictionalized account of the real-life "Kingdom of the Happy Land," an intentional community established by formerly enslaved Black Americans in the late 19th century.
I am fascinated by intentional communities, and found that aspect so interesting! I was inspired and deeply moved by the tenacity and resilience of the kingdomfolk! And I'm endlessly grateful that Perkins-Valdez shed much-needed light on this little-known piece of U.S. history.
That said, after experiencing the brilliance of Take My Hand, Happy Land fell a bit short of my high expectations. It felt like a missed opportunity to go deeper, and to do more. The writing itself felt overly simple, and I craved the same depth the author delivered in Take My Hand. Additionally, certain aspects within the modern timeline felt unnecessary. Keep in mind that I read this with my eyes, and perhaps the audiobook would've been a better fit. Either way, I am clearly an outlier in my opinion because it's receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews, so I'd still recommend it. 💕
July 6, 2025
June Book club Read
Dolen Perkins is such a storyteller. She gave much detail on a true story regarding the Happy Land. I love a book where the ancestors come up after being held down during slavery time.
A family reunited after so many years of being separated. Four female generations, four different personalities, four different points of views, but all one family of love ❤️
May 30, 2025
“Those kingdom people walked up that mountain, fleeing violence, daring to make their own community. They grew their own food, bartered, traded, pooled their resources, and made a life. They bought a little over two hundred acres and then fought like hell to hold on to it.”
I went into this story blind. I had no idea Happy Land is based on a true story of a Black community in Western North Carolina. It was very eye opening to me. I do think it should be required reading in schools. Romance isn’t a huge part of this story, but I will say Luella deserved better than William and Robert. She handled everything with grace and more than what those two men deserved. I highly recommend everyone to read.
I went into this story blind. I had no idea Happy Land is based on a true story of a Black community in Western North Carolina. It was very eye opening to me. I do think it should be required reading in schools. Romance isn’t a huge part of this story, but I will say Luella deserved better than William and Robert. She handled everything with grace and more than what those two men deserved. I highly recommend everyone to read.
April 8, 2025
I started ready Happy Land on the heels of finishing The American Queen and imagine my surprise when i realized that i would again be immersed in the story of The Kingdom of Happy Land North Carolina!!! I was in Historical Fiction Bliss. This story was perfection. Five stars. Love to see Black people intentionally seeking and embracing joy, rest, peace, love and wealth especially after they've gone through everything that robbed them of it!
The past and present storytelling was seamless! I appreciated the author's ability to have Nikki and Queen Luella's stories parallel each other so effortlessly. This book is so much about community, making hard choices as a parent, the sacrifices one makes for the ones they love. It dives deep into heir property dynamics, a struggle that many Black families continue to face as they fight was what unjustly stolen from them. A welcomed surprise for me? That Luella, Robert and William love triangle! I was here for it and 100% understood why each of them made the choices they did.
I loved this book!
The past and present storytelling was seamless! I appreciated the author's ability to have Nikki and Queen Luella's stories parallel each other so effortlessly. This book is so much about community, making hard choices as a parent, the sacrifices one makes for the ones they love. It dives deep into heir property dynamics, a struggle that many Black families continue to face as they fight was what unjustly stolen from them. A welcomed surprise for me? That Luella, Robert and William love triangle! I was here for it and 100% understood why each of them made the choices they did.
I loved this book!
May 11, 2025
I enjoyed how Dolen used her imagination, based on her research, to tell an unforgettable story of The Kingdom of Happy Land. I tried my best not to compare this story to The American Queen. While the premise is the same, the authors took two completely different directions with their stories. I enjoyed both and I’d recommend reading both.
This book gives the reader a dual POV/timeline – making the story pull you in from page one. We discover generational secrets, legal rights, perseverance, trouble in the Kingdom, family forgiveness and a very interesting relationship between Luella, Robert and Willaim. This book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, so be prepared for the journey!
This book gives the reader a dual POV/timeline – making the story pull you in from page one. We discover generational secrets, legal rights, perseverance, trouble in the Kingdom, family forgiveness and a very interesting relationship between Luella, Robert and Willaim. This book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, so be prepared for the journey!
April 30, 2025
Whew 😰 this story really took me on a emotional journey I wasn’t prepared to take. Early on I’ll admit I did not like the direction the author went with William and Louella’s relationship (and at the moment I still don’t) and it’s because I recently read American Queen by Vanessa Miller. This story has more drama and it is also duel timeline which makes it read like a completely different story but with the same characters. (I hope that makes sense) 😂
January 4, 2026
First book of the new year and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed Happy Land! What I appreciated most was the atmosphere and emotional undercurrent. Dolen creates a sense of unease and introspection without overexplaining. I really enjoyed sitting in the world of this story and letting it unfold at its own pace.
That said, I couldn’t help but compare it to Take My Hand, which I found to be the stronger of the two Happy Land felt a bit less fleshed out in comparison, especially in terms of character development and narrative depth. At times, the pacing felt uneven, and I occasionally wanted more clarity or emotional grounding before moving on. Some sections ended just as they were getting interesting, while others lingered longer than necessary.
Overall, I still really enjoyed Happy Land. It’s thoughtful, and engaging, even if it didn’t fully hit five-star territory for me. If you liked Take My Hand, this one is still worth reading.
That said, I couldn’t help but compare it to Take My Hand, which I found to be the stronger of the two Happy Land felt a bit less fleshed out in comparison, especially in terms of character development and narrative depth. At times, the pacing felt uneven, and I occasionally wanted more clarity or emotional grounding before moving on. Some sections ended just as they were getting interesting, while others lingered longer than necessary.
Overall, I still really enjoyed Happy Land. It’s thoughtful, and engaging, even if it didn’t fully hit five-star territory for me. If you liked Take My Hand, this one is still worth reading.
August 21, 2025
This one has me reflecting on a lot. More specifically how men have not been worth for them for decades, but every decade they seem to prove themselves even more!
Also, it had me reaching out to my parents to make sure that we were good on the land that we own in our family. My people make sure you check out the term: heir property. Make sure big Ma and auntie them are good. Very good read and I enjoyed the dual perspectives of generations from the past to the future.
April 26, 2025
Narration: 4.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
First, I have to give credit and praise to the cover designer—this cover is stunning. And I’m really happy that I was able to get the galley for this book. After reading The American Queen, I was looking forward to seeing where the author was going to take this story, especially since it had not too long ago been explored. I also had high expectations because I really loved this author’s previous work, Take My Hand. That book showed me how gifted Perkins-Valdez is when it comes to tapping into historical moments and bringing them to life in a way that urges the reader to become more informed. She also knows how to develop characters that connect us—both to the fictional world and to the real-life figures she’s drawing from. There’s something deeply personal in the way she approaches historical fiction, and that’s a major strength in all her work.
That said, I have to be honest: Happy Land is strong in a lot of ways, but I was really, really bored through a large portion of it. I don’t usually mind dual perspectives, but in this case, I would’ve much preferred if the focus had remained solely on Nikki—watching her uncover her ancestry, learning about her grandmother, navigating her relationship with her own mother and daughter. We do get some of that, but I think the novel could’ve gone deeper. I honestly think it would’ve been more interesting to read a multi perspective timeline between Nikki, her Grandmother, and her mother. We could’ve unraveled so much more while more deeply exploring the processes of going through old records, land deeds, family memory—and it still would’ve been just as powerful.
So while I appreciate Luella’s parallel storyline in theory, I found it distracting in practice. It kept pulling me out of the narrative I wanted to follow. Nikki’s story had emotional momentum and generational tension that really resonated. Luella’s chapters, for me, didn’t have the same urgency or intimacy—and they took up space that I wished had been spent digging further into Nikki’s present-day discoveries.
Now, let me be clear: this book still matters. I would absolutely recommend reading it. The themes are incredibly important—especially the way it addresses how generational wealth was stripped from formerly enslaved people, and how entire families were intentionally targeted and pushed out of the spaces they built. This book is also a major meditation on generational connection—how the young must preserve what the old have built, and how the old need the young to care enough to do that work. Nikki slowly grows to appreciate her grandmother’s deep relationship to the land, something she never fully saw through her mother, who ran from that lifestyle. Her mom wanted out—to break away from that world entirely.
Parts of Happy Land reminded me of Brea Baker’s nonfiction book—which I highly recommend everyone read immediately. In that book, Baker discusses how intentionally Black people were made to mentally disconnect from farming, from working with their hands—how it’s been so heavily associated with slavery and struggle. But she also talks about the importance of reclaiming that relationship to land: not just tending it, but owning it, protecting it, and passing it on. Perkins-Valdez touches on this same truth in a fiction context, and I really appreciated watching Nikki go through that reconnection with her roots—how she, her daughter, her mother, and her grandmother begin to rebuild what was lost.
I think this book had a really strong start and a beautiful ending. But there’s a lot in the middle that I struggled with. I kept nodding off, putting the book down, picking it back up—again and again.
Part of that might be because I read The American Queen not too long ago, and that book primarily focuses on Luella, William, their journey to Happy Land, and its gradual decline. So hearing Luella’s story again in Happy Land wasn’t something I was necessarily craving. And knowing the real history of Happy Land, I found some narrative choices questionable. In history, William dies and Robert becomes king—it wasn’t that William went away and came back. So I do think some of the storytelling was adjusted for drama, and those changes didn’t always work for me.
I also felt the book under-emphasized key historical reasons for Happy Land’s decline. A lot of the downfall had to do with people leaving—chasing work opportunities, dealing with economic changes like the railroad, increasing debt, and a lack of young people coming in to sustain the community. The elders began to pass away, and no one was left to carry the legacy forward.
So while I understand why the author centered Nikki and her grandmother’s role as a bridge between generations, I just think I would’ve loved this book more had it not tried to do so much with Luella’s timeline. Regardless, I’m still excited for anything this author puts out. I love the stories she brings to life and the way she approaches historical fiction—always thoughtful, always layered, always making you want to learn more.
Thanks to Berkley & Netgalley for this digital ARC. I also listened to the audio via Libby.
Overall: 3.5/5
First, I have to give credit and praise to the cover designer—this cover is stunning. And I’m really happy that I was able to get the galley for this book. After reading The American Queen, I was looking forward to seeing where the author was going to take this story, especially since it had not too long ago been explored. I also had high expectations because I really loved this author’s previous work, Take My Hand. That book showed me how gifted Perkins-Valdez is when it comes to tapping into historical moments and bringing them to life in a way that urges the reader to become more informed. She also knows how to develop characters that connect us—both to the fictional world and to the real-life figures she’s drawing from. There’s something deeply personal in the way she approaches historical fiction, and that’s a major strength in all her work.
That said, I have to be honest: Happy Land is strong in a lot of ways, but I was really, really bored through a large portion of it. I don’t usually mind dual perspectives, but in this case, I would’ve much preferred if the focus had remained solely on Nikki—watching her uncover her ancestry, learning about her grandmother, navigating her relationship with her own mother and daughter. We do get some of that, but I think the novel could’ve gone deeper. I honestly think it would’ve been more interesting to read a multi perspective timeline between Nikki, her Grandmother, and her mother. We could’ve unraveled so much more while more deeply exploring the processes of going through old records, land deeds, family memory—and it still would’ve been just as powerful.
So while I appreciate Luella’s parallel storyline in theory, I found it distracting in practice. It kept pulling me out of the narrative I wanted to follow. Nikki’s story had emotional momentum and generational tension that really resonated. Luella’s chapters, for me, didn’t have the same urgency or intimacy—and they took up space that I wished had been spent digging further into Nikki’s present-day discoveries.
Now, let me be clear: this book still matters. I would absolutely recommend reading it. The themes are incredibly important—especially the way it addresses how generational wealth was stripped from formerly enslaved people, and how entire families were intentionally targeted and pushed out of the spaces they built. This book is also a major meditation on generational connection—how the young must preserve what the old have built, and how the old need the young to care enough to do that work. Nikki slowly grows to appreciate her grandmother’s deep relationship to the land, something she never fully saw through her mother, who ran from that lifestyle. Her mom wanted out—to break away from that world entirely.
Parts of Happy Land reminded me of Brea Baker’s nonfiction book—which I highly recommend everyone read immediately. In that book, Baker discusses how intentionally Black people were made to mentally disconnect from farming, from working with their hands—how it’s been so heavily associated with slavery and struggle. But she also talks about the importance of reclaiming that relationship to land: not just tending it, but owning it, protecting it, and passing it on. Perkins-Valdez touches on this same truth in a fiction context, and I really appreciated watching Nikki go through that reconnection with her roots—how she, her daughter, her mother, and her grandmother begin to rebuild what was lost.
I think this book had a really strong start and a beautiful ending. But there’s a lot in the middle that I struggled with. I kept nodding off, putting the book down, picking it back up—again and again.
Part of that might be because I read The American Queen not too long ago, and that book primarily focuses on Luella, William, their journey to Happy Land, and its gradual decline. So hearing Luella’s story again in Happy Land wasn’t something I was necessarily craving. And knowing the real history of Happy Land, I found some narrative choices questionable. In history, William dies and Robert becomes king—it wasn’t that William went away and came back. So I do think some of the storytelling was adjusted for drama, and those changes didn’t always work for me.
I also felt the book under-emphasized key historical reasons for Happy Land’s decline. A lot of the downfall had to do with people leaving—chasing work opportunities, dealing with economic changes like the railroad, increasing debt, and a lack of young people coming in to sustain the community. The elders began to pass away, and no one was left to carry the legacy forward.
So while I understand why the author centered Nikki and her grandmother’s role as a bridge between generations, I just think I would’ve loved this book more had it not tried to do so much with Luella’s timeline. Regardless, I’m still excited for anything this author puts out. I love the stories she brings to life and the way she approaches historical fiction—always thoughtful, always layered, always making you want to learn more.
Thanks to Berkley & Netgalley for this digital ARC. I also listened to the audio via Libby.
May 22, 2025
Nikki is summoned by her grandmother, from whom she's estranged by way of an old argument between her mother and grandmother, for a visit that proves to have greater consequences and impact than she first presumes. While there, her grandmother starts teaching Nikki about her family that came from that very area and about a settlement, Happy Land, established following the end of the Civil War by her formerly enslaved ancestors.
This was a gorgeously told family story. Weaving together two timelines, Perkins-Valdez builds a touching and engaging tale with a fantastic set of characters. Happy Land has that strong tie to the land, and really emphasizes the strength of community and having the freedom to build your own.
I did have a few issues that kept this from being 5 stars. One is that Nikki felt decidedly much younger than someone just about to turn 40. The other is a little more intangible, but really falls into that space where, the longer the story went on, the more I preferred the past timeline over the present with Nikki. I would almost rather see this one in the same vein as Edward Rutherfurd or Ken Follett, and boast a straight-up linear timeline, allowing for more connections to be established and to build on top of those who came before Nikki. But regardless, this was a gorgeously told story and I was captivated by the Happy Land narrative.
This was a gorgeously told family story. Weaving together two timelines, Perkins-Valdez builds a touching and engaging tale with a fantastic set of characters. Happy Land has that strong tie to the land, and really emphasizes the strength of community and having the freedom to build your own.
I did have a few issues that kept this from being 5 stars. One is that Nikki felt decidedly much younger than someone just about to turn 40. The other is a little more intangible, but really falls into that space where, the longer the story went on, the more I preferred the past timeline over the present with Nikki. I would almost rather see this one in the same vein as Edward Rutherfurd or Ken Follett, and boast a straight-up linear timeline, allowing for more connections to be established and to build on top of those who came before Nikki. But regardless, this was a gorgeously told story and I was captivated by the Happy Land narrative.
Read
January 16, 2026Reviewed in the January 2026 edition of Quick Lit on Modern Mrs Darcy:
I've loved Dolen Perkins-Valdez's work in the past, especially her 2022 novel Take My Hand, which was one of my favorite books that year. I decided to listen to her 2025 release on audio, largely because Bahni Turpin narrates, along with Ashley J. Hobbs. Once again, here she takes inspiration from lesser-explored history that deserves to be better known. Happy Land is about the “kingdom” established in 1873 in North Carolina by a group of freedpeople looking to escape white terrorist violence in nearby Spartanburg County SC, where they lived. This kingdom named a king and queen, formed a communal treasury, and eventually purchased land spread across the NC/SC state line. The story unfolds in two timelines: the first follows Luella, Happy Land’s first queen, and the second contemporary timeline follows her descendant Nikki. The stories are linked by the ancestral line and also by the fuller story of African American land loss in the 20th century. Perkins-Valdez excels at making history come alive through her rich historical details.
I've loved Dolen Perkins-Valdez's work in the past, especially her 2022 novel Take My Hand, which was one of my favorite books that year. I decided to listen to her 2025 release on audio, largely because Bahni Turpin narrates, along with Ashley J. Hobbs. Once again, here she takes inspiration from lesser-explored history that deserves to be better known. Happy Land is about the “kingdom” established in 1873 in North Carolina by a group of freedpeople looking to escape white terrorist violence in nearby Spartanburg County SC, where they lived. This kingdom named a king and queen, formed a communal treasury, and eventually purchased land spread across the NC/SC state line. The story unfolds in two timelines: the first follows Luella, Happy Land’s first queen, and the second contemporary timeline follows her descendant Nikki. The stories are linked by the ancestral line and also by the fuller story of African American land loss in the 20th century. Perkins-Valdez excels at making history come alive through her rich historical details.
April 8, 2025
Happy Land is a deeply moving and beautifully written novel that is quite the unforgettable story. It’s powerful, heartbreaking, and full of hope, shedding light on an important part of history that many people may not know about. Perkins-Valdez has a gift for bringing characters to life, making you feel their pain, their joy, and their resilience— she just has such a way with words and her storytelling is top-tier!
Her writing is both poetic and smooth, drawing her readers into a world that is both painful and inspiring. There’s this air of black excellence and regality in the story that I couldn’t get enough of. It’s a novel that not only tells a compelling story but also makes you run to your computer to do some research, think and feel deeply.
What to Expect:
📖 a gripping historical fiction story ♥️ strong and unforgettable characters 💔 Heartbreak, resilience, and hope
🌳 multi-generational
🧩 complex family dynamics 📜 a deeper understanding of history
⏳ dual timelines (past + present) 🌎 themes of justice, survival, and courage
Why You Should Read It:
Happy Land is a must-read because it gives voice to untold stories and shines a light on a history that deserves to be told and remembered. These characters are so real that they feel like people you know.
I am left feeling completely and utterly inspired by these characters but particularly Nikki as I too get closer to my 40s and begin to examine where I am and where I wanna go.. 🥹
“I step forward, away from Mama, as if to step into my new self once more. I have been making these moves over and over again for the past year. I am now forty years old, and I’m learning new things about myself each day. I had a late start, but there is time to make it up.”
⭐️ 5/5 glorious stars!
Her writing is both poetic and smooth, drawing her readers into a world that is both painful and inspiring. There’s this air of black excellence and regality in the story that I couldn’t get enough of. It’s a novel that not only tells a compelling story but also makes you run to your computer to do some research, think and feel deeply.
What to Expect:
📖 a gripping historical fiction story ♥️ strong and unforgettable characters 💔 Heartbreak, resilience, and hope
🌳 multi-generational
🧩 complex family dynamics 📜 a deeper understanding of history
⏳ dual timelines (past + present) 🌎 themes of justice, survival, and courage
Why You Should Read It:
Happy Land is a must-read because it gives voice to untold stories and shines a light on a history that deserves to be told and remembered. These characters are so real that they feel like people you know.
I am left feeling completely and utterly inspired by these characters but particularly Nikki as I too get closer to my 40s and begin to examine where I am and where I wanna go.. 🥹
“I step forward, away from Mama, as if to step into my new self once more. I have been making these moves over and over again for the past year. I am now forty years old, and I’m learning new things about myself each day. I had a late start, but there is time to make it up.”
⭐️ 5/5 glorious stars!
August 3, 2025
4.5/5 stars
I love historical fiction, and Dolen does it fabulously. I love the approach she took for this novel; dual POVs over generations is difficult to do, but it’s great when done correctly! Would recommend to anyone who’s looking to learn about a new piece of hidden Black history! I also recommend The American Queen by Vanessa Miller!
I love historical fiction, and Dolen does it fabulously. I love the approach she took for this novel; dual POVs over generations is difficult to do, but it’s great when done correctly! Would recommend to anyone who’s looking to learn about a new piece of hidden Black history! I also recommend The American Queen by Vanessa Miller!
May 2, 2025
An intergenerational story where a woman learns the incredible story of a real-life American Kingdom and her family's ties to it.
Nikki's grandmother calls out of the blue with an urgent request for Nikki to come see her in the western hills of North Carolina. Nikki's mother and grandmother haven't spoken in years and Nikki is determined to find out why. But instead her grandmother tells her a story of a kingdom on the mountain and of her great-great-great grandmother who was its queen.
Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land and the lives of those who lived there. She learns of her family's secrets and how this land is her legacy. A legacy she must learn to protect before it's stolen away.
What a beautiful cover!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Nikki's grandmother calls out of the blue with an urgent request for Nikki to come see her in the western hills of North Carolina. Nikki's mother and grandmother haven't spoken in years and Nikki is determined to find out why. But instead her grandmother tells her a story of a kingdom on the mountain and of her great-great-great grandmother who was its queen.
Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land and the lives of those who lived there. She learns of her family's secrets and how this land is her legacy. A legacy she must learn to protect before it's stolen away.
What a beautiful cover!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
August 8, 2025
I think I’m officially a historical fiction girlie. Wow. I read this one with my eyes and took breaks because this at times weighed on me in ways that assisted in the awakening I’ve been having regarding my history as a black woman.
Black people were meant to have land and to think that much of our history was told as beginning in slavery is infuriating.
I read this book simultaneously reading the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible) and WHEW! Specifically reading Deuteronomy, Moses’s last words to Israel before they enter the promised land and the combination made for an amazing reading experience. I loved this book so much!
I will be reading The American Queen soon (another book about Luella and Happy Land) soon!!!
Happy Land feels like Tulsa, Seneca Village and Oscarville (LOOK THESE PLACES US!).
We are a people with a RICH history, customs and culture. And even through disparity, Yah helps us to find our way back to ourselves! HALLELUYAH.
Again, I loved it.
Black people were meant to have land and to think that much of our history was told as beginning in slavery is infuriating.
I read this book simultaneously reading the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible) and WHEW! Specifically reading Deuteronomy, Moses’s last words to Israel before they enter the promised land and the combination made for an amazing reading experience. I loved this book so much!
I will be reading The American Queen soon (another book about Luella and Happy Land) soon!!!
Happy Land feels like Tulsa, Seneca Village and Oscarville (LOOK THESE PLACES US!).
We are a people with a RICH history, customs and culture. And even through disparity, Yah helps us to find our way back to ourselves! HALLELUYAH.
Again, I loved it.
April 8, 2025
HAPPY LAND is a generational story inspired by a real African kingdom that will leave you feeling all the emotions!
Nikki is summoned to North Carolina by her estranged grandmother. Mother Rita tells Nikki a shocking story about her great-great-great grandmother, Queen Luella, and the very land they stand on. But she is also hiding many secrets, all of which Nikki is desperate to uncover. As Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land, she comes to realize how much of her identity is rooted in this family land, and the struggle to preserve the land that has belonged to their family for generations.
This is a slow paced story with dual timelines. It was interesting to see the family drama and long-buried secrets come to light. Anger, frustration, heartbreak, grief and hope...all my emotions were running wild. The brothers were deplorable and Luella deserved MUCH better in my opinion. The strength and resilience she displayed is astounding. I also learned a lot about landownership laws and how unfair they can be. It took at least 50% of the book for me to truly become invested in the characters and the direction the story was headed. It felt like something was missing, especially after being so immediately captivated by TAKE MY HAND. I would've loved to hear more from the perspective from closer descendents.
While this was a journey and I enjoyed parts of HAPPY LAND, the story doesn't stick out for me like her previous book did. If you love historical fiction, particularly those focused at the end of the Civil War, you may enjoy this story!
Nikki is summoned to North Carolina by her estranged grandmother. Mother Rita tells Nikki a shocking story about her great-great-great grandmother, Queen Luella, and the very land they stand on. But she is also hiding many secrets, all of which Nikki is desperate to uncover. As Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land, she comes to realize how much of her identity is rooted in this family land, and the struggle to preserve the land that has belonged to their family for generations.
This is a slow paced story with dual timelines. It was interesting to see the family drama and long-buried secrets come to light. Anger, frustration, heartbreak, grief and hope...all my emotions were running wild. The brothers were deplorable and Luella deserved MUCH better in my opinion. The strength and resilience she displayed is astounding. I also learned a lot about landownership laws and how unfair they can be. It took at least 50% of the book for me to truly become invested in the characters and the direction the story was headed. It felt like something was missing, especially after being so immediately captivated by TAKE MY HAND. I would've loved to hear more from the perspective from closer descendents.
While this was a journey and I enjoyed parts of HAPPY LAND, the story doesn't stick out for me like her previous book did. If you love historical fiction, particularly those focused at the end of the Civil War, you may enjoy this story!
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