The American Queen is an interesting look at a little known event set in the American South during the darkest days of slavery and the ensuing aftermath of the Civil War. Author Vanessa Miller discovered the story of Louella Montgomery and with painstaking research gives the reader her story filled with sorrow, anger, betrayal, and ultimately hope. The story begins at the end of the Civil War. Enslaved people have been given their freedom via the Emancipation Proclamation, yet their lives are unchanged. Even when the war ends, they are kept in servitude. Louella and her husband William lead a group of other former slaves to a new land that God has chosen for them. The story really is Abrahamic in its scope. God spoke to both William and Louella, and together they stepped out on faith. The story is a moving account of living faith in the face of extreme hostility, danger, and doubt. Miller does a good job of fleshing out the characters given the limited information available about them and the Happy Land (situated in the Appalachian mountains of North and South Carolina) where they settled. The novel is faithful to the time period, including language that hopefully would not make it into a contemporary work. Miller explains her writing choices, and I think that she does a good job of conveying the people and time without offense.

If you are a fan of historical fiction covering real people and little known events, then The American Queen would be a good choice. I think it will create a lot of conversation with my book club.

Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: adults.

Based on a true story almost forgotten, author Vanessa Miller brings to life Happy Land and all who worked together to form a peaceful community. So much heartbreak, but also so much hope and resilience. The characters were exceptionally developed and the story was written in the right amount of time. I highly recommend this book! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting story and great supporting characters, yet lackluster writing. Louella did not seem to have a true personality.

Thank you to NetGalley for this #gifted book!*
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Title: The American Queen
Author: Vanessa Miller
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
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Synopsis: “Louella’s mind rolled over good things as she waved back to them. Slavery hadn’t beaten her. She’d survived…Her people had survived. And they build a kingdom to be proud of.” Louella has grown up on a plantation in slavery in the South and faced all the struggles of a young enslaved woman. With the hardship and sorrow she’s faced, a deep bitterness has taken root. But when the War Between the States ends, her people are free. She is free. And now she has dreams of making a place all their own. But as she and her husband leave the plantation and establish The Kingdom of Happy Land, the hardships continue. Will Louella be able to overcome her own anger and see the goodness of God in the land of the living?

Analysis: Vanessa Miller brings a story set in the Reconstruction period that is really difficult to read just because the heartbreak is heavy. I loved that it was based on a true story and one I hadn’t heard of before. Louella and William are free from slavery but still face the struggles of society and life in the South at that time. It broke my heart to see both the physical and emotional struggles that Louella faced. It did cover an extremely long time period, so it seemed both to be a little slow and rushed at the same time. But I understood the author wanted to cover the full event. While I can’t relate to many of the circumstances, I think the book does well to bring a new perspective specifically in Christian fiction. I also think there would be great talking points when it comes to faith and God’s goodness which is a main theme you’ll find throughout the book. Overall, this is an interesting read and I think would be a great jumping off point to discuss and learn more.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

*I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Love this book and the way she interwoven the history. I learned a lot about the history of the people represented in this book.

This is an amazing book. I read this in two days because it was so good. The book is well written and very engaging. I can honestly say that I learned a few things.

This story went from being enslaved to owning their own land. The people of Happy Land worked together as though they were all family to keep everything moving to have a life of their own.

I love Louella. She was a woman that you didn't want to play with. Very strong, spoke her mind when it was needed and stood on business.

William (King) and Louella (Queen) worked well together as a team. Don't get me wrong, they had their disagreements, but who doesn't.

Robert, Robert, Robert! He was all about helping himself.

All in all, I feel that everyone should read this book.

I really enjoyed it, learning about a black king and queen in America was great. I just wished this was taught in school

The first 75% of this was wonderful! Beautifully written, great story telling, characterization, and wonderful analysis and inference of what each character may have been thinking. I both read in print and listened to some of the audiobook. Both were equally joyful ways to consume this story.

Unfortunately, the last 25% got too preachy for me. I tired of hearing how our leading lady, Louella, would just have to hope that God would hear her need. My weariness continued as she spoke/thought of the forgiveness she gave everyone around her, constantly, even after they had ruined everything. The best writing in the world cannot make up for when I feel talked down to, preached at, or otherwise ‘told’ that I should feel or do things a certain way. I can assure you I would have felt much differently than Louella in the end given all the circumstances.

That said my 3 star review should not stop anyone from reading this book. It’s an interesting history, about a relatively unwritten time period from the viewpoints of those freed during emancipation. In no way would I discredit the story told here and its importance. I just would have liked to have the last pieces of the story told with a little less required faith; and a little more common sense on how our leading lady and her ‘followers’ came to be where they ended up.

I realize now that this author is a devoted Christian herself and was merely justifying the actions as she finds reasonable. However, I would challenge any author (regardless of religious affiliation) writing a story based on historical fact to be careful how much of their own beliefs they inject to justify actions. Lastly, it was odd to me that freed slaves so readily put all their faith in the god of those who enslaved, oppressed, murdered, and tortured themselves and their loved ones. It just felt a bit too much for me to swallow in the end.

I would love to read a non-fiction book about Louella and William, and their socialist practices that built a beautiful sounding community.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

4⭐️

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for the ARC.

"The American Queen" by Vanessa Miller is a historical fiction novel based on the true story of Louella and the Kingdom of the Happy Land.

I didn't know the history of Queen Louella Montgomery before reading this book and I am thankful that this book has allowed me to read about one of those significant histories that are often forgotten.

In my opinion, this book is a must-read for everyone, and I will definitely read more books written by this author.




TW: Racism, slavery, child death, violence, grief, death of a parent, physical abuse

In this powerful historical fiction novel, Vanessa Miller has brought an incredibly overlooked historical world to life. At the end of the Civil War, a group of recently emancipated Black Americans leave Mississippi and travel northwest, ending up in North Carolina where they establish a “kingdom” where the collective good is the priority. Following Louella over several decades, readers explore the struggles of living in this collectivistic commune in the late nineteenth century as formerly enslaved Black Americans in the American South. Miller’s incredible characters and setting is brilliantly complex and historically overshadowed, and she has done an amazingly detailed restoration of this Happy Land for her readers. Her characters are complex and detailed, and Louella, as well as the other side characters, are brilliant, powerful, and kind. The female characters’ power and their subversion of several interlocking systems of power and oppression are truly enjoyable and inspiring, and Miller’s research into these women and the community shows over the course of the novel. This is a must-read book for all fans of historical fiction and for those who want more strong Black women protagonists, and it acts as an incredible starting point for readers interested in the Reconstruction movement of the late nineteenth century.

I like to thank NetGalley and Publisher for this ARC.


This book had me with so much emotion the main CHARACTER Louella, went through so much. From the situation with her Farther and dealing with life on Montgomery Plantation. I so connected with Louella in how outspoken she was like me if you want to see change speak up. This was excellent reading at times I had to put the book down so emotional had me in my feelings. And when LOUELLA came to check on William the tears was flowing that was so hard for me. And to think this book was base off of true event OMG. I highly recommend this amazing Novel will be on my best reads 2024.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy and a chance to read and review.

I loved this author’s book The light on Halsey Street and was excited to read her first historical fiction book as it is my favorite genre. Unfortunately I DNF this book at 47%.

This story is based on a true story of a woman formerly enslaved who dares to make a better life for her people. Although it was well researched, it was too slow a pace for me and the writing fell a little flat. I do think it may a great read for those who enjoy a slow paced read.

An intriguing book about a place and time period in American history that I knew nothing about. I loved the pace of this story and the research.

Books like this are why I read like I do! I want new information, to be delighted by surprise and to know that sometime, somewhere right triumphed. . .for a moment or two, the heavens rolled open and poured out weighty approbation. . .it happened - really happened - for Louella Bobo Montgomery aka The American Queen .

I am so pleased that my time here didn't pass without me hearing and learning this story, based on true happenings that "history" forgot. Fortunately for us, there was a Ms. Patton who made sure her research survived in a corner of a library until the old historians shuffled off, and crews with a better-wiser view recovered it, the planets aligned and pointed to this Author, and Here We Are: I've read it, and recommend it to you, dear Reader, 5+ stars worth. Lucky me, I read (someone taught me!) and listened (technology affords possibility) to this one. Both are excellent formats. Again: Vanessa Miller - thank you for the education and efforts in getting this story out to us, out to me. I'll be thinking about it for a very long time.

You'll find yourself reading a hard story, a true tale for more than just these characters based on real people - examples of hard times and truths. More than a little guilt is felt for past crimes nationally tolerated. But then these persecuted wayfarers rise phoenix-like, above their challenges and circumstances and find a way, providing a message of hope that never grows old or unnecessary, in any age, era, or generation for every family or individual.

*A sincere thank you to Vanessa Miller, Thomas Nelson--Fiction, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #TheAmericanQueen #NetGalley

Thank you HearOurVoices and TNZ fiction for my #gifted copy.

There’s something about an intentional man!! I went into this book knowing I’d love it. Kimberly Brown’s writing is so beautiful. She creates characters with depth and a purity I love. It’s rare that an author gives the woman and the man a back story; this is one of those stories you get to learn about both love interests.
 
Callum and Pasha’s love story is one I will think about for a long time.
 
The story starts out with Pasha getting kicked out of her home by her husband of 5 years (Raymond ain’t shit). From there, she meets Callum, and this leads her to not only finding true love but also self-love.
 
Pasha does the work to heal throughout this book, and I honestly think Kimberly does this journey of self-healing better than a recently published book that everyone loves, but that’s neither here nor there! Callum is patient yet intentional through this entire journey. He shows up for Pasha in so many ways. I think my favorite one was the smash room date day.
 
Pasha is surrounded by love from her found family throughout the entire book. Which I loved because Pasha had experienced so many losses in such a short period of time. She needed people to love on her. I loved that Pasha didn’t let grief consume her in the end, she took the necessary steps to move forward and to be able to nurture a healthy relationship with Callum.
 
Both MC’s shared similar grief stories, but it was not a trauma bond that linked them together, which once again I loved. The similarities helped them be there for each other when the hard times came, and because of that, the work they put in rewarded them by the end of the book. Their love is so beautiful, I swear it influenced other people. side eyes, Avyn.
 
All of the characters, except a few, were so lovable. Everyone needs an Avyn and Bella in their corner. This is a story of grief, love, found family, and new beginnings. I would highly recommend this one.

This novel brings to the forefront a story of the unsung. A woman leading the charge to major change in a time where Black people were just gaining their footing after being freed.
 
Louella is the heroine in this story. She had the courage to take a leap of faith with her husband, William, and create a land for her people. This land did not come without strife; the community she cultivated had to fight against not only the evils of white people but also the “crabs in a barrel” mindset of the people she brought along with her. Louella, though, didn’t hesitate to check everyone who tried her, which I thoroughly enjoyed because women back then oftentimes had little to no voice. They were supposed to be led, not lead. Louella broke that mold.
 
She created a land for her people where the community depended on one another to get what they needed instead of their oppressors. Each person had talents that were used for the betterment of the land.
 
There were some things in the story I couldn’t look past. Throughout my reading journey, the language used in this book seemed modern, and the events that transpired I couldn’t even imagine happening, like the court hearing. The novel is a very easy read, and I think it is a great start for someone who is trying to get into historical fiction, but I think one should proceed with caution knowing that there are other books that go deeper as far as language, description of enslavement, notable stories, etc.
 
I would recommend this to someone who wants to start reading historical fiction for sure.

3.75/5 ⭐️

The American Queen tells the intriguing story of Louella Montegomery, an enslaved woman who is freed after the close of the American Civil War. She and her family embark on a journey out of the Deep South to find Happy Land, a vision she's seen in her dreams that she believes God has shown her. Louella understandably struggles with her faith throughout the book, considering all the evil injustices she has faced. She wrestles with being the leader in a community that is finding its own footing, while she herself is trying to find her way in a new world.

While this book isn't categorized as a YA (young adult) book, it reads like one at times. This doesn't bother me, as the author directly addresses many real issues Louella deal with, but just doesn't graphically/explicitly describe them. Some of the dialogue is a bit modern-sounding, so it sometimes took me out of the story. Otherwise this account was truly beautiful, and an interesting look into a group of formerly enslaved people, who developed a strong communal space of their own, the kingdom of Happy Land, in what is now the Henderson County area.

I loved reading about a piece of history in the place that I live, and because of the more simple way the author portrayed some of these things, I think this would make a great read-aloud book for kids who are in middle school or high school as they learn about the reality of American history and the enslavement of African Americans. I would likely keep it to age 14+ but that's just my personal estimation and depends on the maturity of the individual.

I'm truly grateful to this author for unveiling another not-often-taught aspect of Black history, and for the strong, hopeful, redemptive way she wrote Louella's story, and how she weaved God into the entirety of the story. Highly recommend everyone read this!!


Trigger warnings: This book does address topics like slavery, racism, physical abuse/"punishment", hanging/lynching, child loss, etc.

Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review of this wonderful story.

The American Queen is a story that will stay with me for a long time to come. It's not a story that's easy to read. In fact the first section is brutal and hard to read. But in my opinion it's something we as a people need to face so that it doesn't happen again.

Before you start this story I would urge you to read the forward by the author. It will give you insight into what her motives were in writing the story as she did. It will keep you from being offended and let you enjoy the story as it unfolds.

Now let me tell you what I enjoyed about this story. First it's based on an historical time and place that I knew nothing about. The main character is Louella and her tenacity and fortitude are truly inspiring. Through overwhelming adversity she continues to make her face like flint and presses forward.

One of the things that's most admirable about Louella is that she doesn't just seek better for herself but also her people. Mind you, this was done at a great personal cost but she just continued to press on. By the time they reached their ultimate destination I was cheering so hard for them. The difficulties weren't over by a long shot but you could see that there was a better day coming.

I truly can't recommend this book enough. Again, it's not an easy read but by the time you turn the last page I think you will be just as moved as I was.

The novel follows Louella who is living during the time of slavery and as the book progresses, post slavery. It highlights the plights and struggles as African Americans try to figure out their new lives in a post slavery USA where racial tensions are very high. The author does a great job of not sugar coating it.

One of the things that I struggled with was all the time jumping. While I can understand that it is necessary to keep the novel going as things don’t just happen overnight, I struggled trying to figure out how many years had passed since the last time it jumped years. For me, I had to really stop and think of just how much time had passed because of how relationships had developed. One of the things that threw me was after a time jump, the vocabulary almost changed for Louella at one point, and it made me wonder how that came to be as they were still very much in the southern part of the USA. I don’t want to spoil the plot, so I’ll leave that pretty generic as it involved a plot twist.

Great book, I have it in print now as well. This book was captivating and overall a good read but maybe not as harsh as some would expect. There were some parts of the book that felt it was more glossed over or the author was holding back on the brutality that people suffered through. Although I have read previously about this time period, I did not know the story of this colony and thought it was very interesting from a historical perspective. I was happy to have read this book.

Wow. Wow. Wow. I predict this book will be a top favorite of mine in 2024. Living on the SC and NC border, I had no idea this Kingdom existed and was thrilled to discover this book was based on a true story in the mountains I love. The storytelling, the research, the emotions...Vanessa did an incredible job bringing this legacy to life and reminding people today of the hardships faced after emancipation and one way a group overcame them. The audiobook brings it even more to life with incredible narration. I felt drawn in instantly, loved the humanness of each character, including the struggle and tension of faith. Luella's strength is inspiring. Highly recommend The American Queen!