𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘨𝘦.

The more I read, the more I realize how much I do not know about the world, or even country we live in.

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 is the perfect example of that as The Kingdom of Happy Land was a real place, complete with kings and queens. This community of freed slaves lived in the Appalachian mountains near the end of the Civil War. I had no idea and apparently neither did the great-granddaughter of a Happy Land Queen in the present day story line.

Both timelines highlight the desire and need to preserve their culture, not only for themselves, but also for future generations. And sadly, they both show how much land (and wealth) has been lost over time. This is not common with heirs' property, where land is passed down through generations without clear legal title.

No different than 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗠𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱, I may have spent more time googling details than actually reading the book. Dolen Perkins-Valdez has an amazing ability to bring hidden pieces of Black history back to life in an time where history is continuously being suppressed. Make sure to read her Author's Note about this piece of history. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Details: Dolen Perkins - Valdez • 368 pgs • 8 Apr 2025 • Gifted: @berkleypub @netgalley • 4⭐

This book was everything I thought it would be and soo much more. I loved it from beginning to end. Loved the story, loved the characters! Highly recommend!

I loved Take My Hand by this author and I enjoyed Happy Land also. The way this author brings history to life through her writing is so well done. I enjoyed Happy Land and am excited for more from this author.

I read this right after reading African Town, in which formerly enslaved people set up an intentional Black community, so the timing was perfect. I preferred Louella's story, which I'm sure is intentional, but I appreciate the framework of Nikki's experience to situate her family's history.

Once there was the Kingdom of the Happy Land that spanned the border of South and North Carolina. It was created by frees slaves from the south. There was even a king and queen. And in this story we learn of how Queen Luella raised a family and fought to hold onto the land that changed their lives.

Alternating with Luella's story is present day Nikki, a descendant of Luella who is only now, in her 40s, learning of her family's history.

I am always a fan of alternating POV and timeline, and while I enjoyed the history woven through Luella's story, I connected more strongly with Nikki's perspective. She is visiting her grandmother who up until now she wasn't close with, but in the short time Nikki spends with Mother Rita she learns there is so much more to her family's heritage and a legacy 150 years old.

Perkins-Valdez beautifully weaves this family story together with a wonderful culminating recognition and achievement. The writing is so smooth and natural. I really enjoyed this one. Recommended for fans of Sadeqa Johnson or Charmaine Wilkerson.

"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.

This was my first time reading Dolen Perkins-Valdez's work, and Happy Land was such a beautiful story. My favorite genre is historical fiction, so I knew I was in for a treat when I read the description and all of the great reviews. I especially love when I can learn something new, and that's what happened with this book and the fascinating information I learned about the African Kingdoms. This story had so many incredible characters, including Queen Luella, Mother Rita, and Nikki. I look forward to reading more of Valdez's work, and I would highly recommend Happy Land to everyone.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.
Happy Land follows a grandmother, a granddaughter, and their ancestor, who was the leader of Happy Land. This was a land where Black people could be free and prosper.
The timelines switch from the present day to the 1800s, following the matriarchs of the family. In the present day, Nikki is visiting her sick grandmother, who is dying. She is trying to learn all she can about her family heritage and where she came from. She's learning that she is Black royalty because her great-great-great-great-grandmother was the queen of Happy Land, a community that was in North and South Carolina.
This is a book that focuses on Land Ownership and the theft of land from Black people in America.

This book had themes of family, land ownership, resilience, and grief.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people who enjoy multigenerational stories about Black women.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an early edition of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I previously loved Dolen Perkins-Valdez's Take My Hand, so when I saw Happy Land I had to put the request in to read it early. By the end of the novel, I'm not sure it quite hit the same high marks for me as Take My Hand did, but it was still a fascinating, well-constructed novel.

The alternating perspectives of this book create a rich depth to all of its layers, tying in multiple timelines to ultimately tell the story of the Happy Land. The book spans generations but ties together so well. You can't help but find a way to relate to each of the character's because the author builds them with simple, but descriptive writing, that gives you a clear picture of who they are and where they are going.

Equal parts heart-breaking, historical, resilient, and emotional, Happy Land is a solid read with a lot of depth.

Losing land is always such a tough topic to read / discuss, however, I could not put this one down! So many important lessons and topics are discussed in this book.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this title by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book particularly the writing style which drew me in from page 1. Highly Recommend!

Told in a dual timeline narrative, this novel brings to light a little-known historical event of the Reconstruction South. A group of former slaves leave the post civil was violence in South Carolina to travel to a place in the Appalachian Mountains for refuge and to built a new life. The new community they establish is named 'Happy Land'. Although the common historical narrative has been that they left from Mississippi, Perkins-Valdez's research points to their origins in SC. In the 19th century storyline, the group arrives at the plantation of the widow Serepta Davis whose former slave labor force is gone. Her plantation is falling in ruin, so the group make an agreement to work for her in exchange for the use of her land. They take up residence in her former slave cabins, clear the land, and begin building their own homes. Luella marries William Montgomery. The couple are named as king and queen of Happy Land. With their motto, "all for one and one for all", everyone works according to their skills and capability to contribute to a common treasury. This money is then distributed as needed, ensuring all are cared for. In the contemporary storyline, Nikki, a forty-year-old woman is summoned by her grandmother whose home is on the land of the former Happy Land. She knows nothing of her family's past, and subsequently learns that she is descended from Luella. For a woman with no anchor or sense of direction in her life, this changes her. Although the dual timeline is overused, I can see why it was used in this narrative. I much preferred the historical narrative. I recently read The American Queen which covered the same topic of the Happy Land, but it was told chronologically strictly in the 19th century. I found this a far more engaging read. If I hadn't read that first, I may have had a higher opinion of this book. Anyone who approaches this book first will love it.

Thanks to @berkleypub @dolenperkinsvaldez and @netgalley for my early copy!

The happy dance I did when I got my approval email from NetGalley for HAPPY LAND, the newest by Dolen Perkins-Valdez 💃🏻

I read and loved Take My Hand back in 2023 and was beyond excited when I saw the news about HAPPY LAND. I adore Perkins-Valdez’s writing and the characters she crafts. HAPPY LAND was no exception when it comes to beautiful storytelling and characters that creep their way into your heart.

Historical fiction not only opens a door to the past, but it also encourages empathy and educates the reader about little known events and people. I had never heard of the African Kingdoms created by previously enslaved people after the Civil War. The hardships they faced after becoming free did not stop. It just took on another name.

What I loved most about HAPPY LAND is the joy we learned about within The Kingdom and for its citizens. Queen Luella was a force to be reckoned with and definitely fit to be a Queen. Nikki’s journey of discovery was powerful and emotional. Mother Rita, what a woman!

This story was magical and beautiful. Do yourself a favor and pick it up! I mean, look at this stunning cover!!!

Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is about 3 generations of African American women going through the setting of belonging and identity. If you love a cultural book with history, this is the one for you. While these are not my first go to books, I wanted to embrace this book fully and really enjoyed it! It's about love and connections in the "Happy Land". This is an eye opening read and makes you appreciate the struggles of those around you and those who came before you.

The author of TAKE MY HAND is back with her 2025 release, another moving, heart-wrenching, and poignant exploration of an ugly side of American history but with a message of hope, grit, and the importance of familial bonds.

HAPPY LAND is an expertly researched and crafted exploration of life in post-Civil War Appalachia, inspired by memories of African kingdoms — yes, kingdoms in the U.S. I loved this multigenerational story that traverses time and place to uncover the infuriating realities so many African Americans had to endure in the years following emancipation. It’s a reminder that while enslaved people were “free,” they weren’t free from the many ways white people tried (and often succeeded) in keeping their power in whatever ways they could — in this example, through landownership.

I loved the characters and the setting — if you’ve read TAKE MY HAND, you know Dolen is skilled at bringing her characters and setting to life, and HAPPY LAND is no different. At the core of the story is a strained family dynamic, and I felt so deeply for our MC, Nikki, and everything she was navigating with her family while trying to be a good mom and make it day by day. Mother Rita was so endearing to me, too—she truly jumped from the pages. And the setting details for the kingdom were some of my favorite passages I’ve read this year.

Fans of historical fiction and those who appreciate stories of lesser-known pieces of our nation’s history, this one is for you.

I loved this book from the very beginning! It takes place in my family’s home town which made me that much more intrigued. A great historical fiction about Black rights to own land and the struggles we face across generations.

I had no idea the Kingdom of Happy Land even existed—and that’s the brilliance of historical fiction: it brings to light the stories that deserve to be told. In Happy Land, Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s meticulous research and vivid storytelling had me diving down a Google rabbit hole to learn more.

The dual POV—between Nikki (present day) and her great-great-grandmother Queen Luella (past)—works beautifully to unravel a multigenerational legacy. Through their voices, we see how Black families built communities and resisted erasure, only to be met with systemic injustice. The novel powerfully explores how white power structures manipulated Black landowners, deepening racial and economic divides that still resonate.

🎧Narration Note: I absolutely loved both narrators. Their performances were so compelling, I found myself unwilling to take out my earbuds. The audiobook vividly brings this fascinating history to life.

👍 Final Verdict: Deeply moving, educational, and engrossing read. I highly recommend it to anyone who values untold history, generational storytelling, and masterful writing.

Perkins-Valdez’s storytelling is absolutely captivating. I’m in awe of the way she brings lesser-known moments in African American history to life with such care and depth. Happy Land shines a light on stories that often go untold, and I found myself fully immersed from beginning to end. She’s completely sparked my curiosity—I’ll definitely be reading more about the real history behind Happy Land and diving deeper into her other work.

A massive thank you to both NetGalley, and Berkley Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Firstly - let me mention this cover. The colors are beautiful, the woman is absolutely breathtaking, I love the font, everything about this cover is just truly gorgeous and well done!

Secondly, WOW, this story! It was beautifully written, not quite as engaging as the author's other work, but still beautiful. It quietly draws you in and it just builds - by the end I just felt completely unraveled and raw in the best possible way. The beginning was tricky and complicated - there were so many characters and I was trying to figure out who everyone was and what was the point of the story. But that ending... such a deeply moving and incredible slow-paced story with captivating characters and history.

This is a generational story inspired by a real African Kingdom and the secrets that Nikki (the FMC, and great-great-great granddaughter of Queen Luella) is able to uncover brings just so much to light. My emotions were all over the place - there was anger and frustration, sorrow and hope, and grief - so much grief, and the dual timelines really was able to bring it all into the present.

Truly one for lovers of historical fiction, especially if you love the Civil War time period then you will truly love this one!

Thank you so much to @Berkleypub for the gifted e-arc. #Berkleypartner

This was a beautiful and enlightening tale of family, history, and legacy. This story is told in dual time lines, with Luella’s POV in the 1800s and Nicki POV in present day.

Luella’s POV explored and showcased how she came to be Queen of a kingdom and how herself, her husband and the community built it from scratch. They were proud people who believed in themselves and the power of what they could do. I absolutely loved reading Luella’s perspective. Not only did we get a history lesson, but also a glimpse into her initially complicated love life with her first husband as well as how distance and time can put a strain on a family. I loved to see how everything came together and they worked together as a family.

Nicki’s POV is present day as she goes to visit a grandmother that she barely knows. Her grandmother needs help and has summoned her. It is here, where Nicki is able to learn about her history and the importance of legacy and land ownership.

Unfortunately for Black Americans, many of the details of our history was lost. This book helped reinforce and solidify how much of a blessing it is to know your family history.