First of all thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars

Synopsis: Nikki is summoned to her grandmother’s place in the mountains after a long time. She is shocked to learn the family history and that she is descended from royalty. She spends time learning the rich history and is needs to protect it.

What I loved: I am a huge fan of take my hand and do happy that she delivers once again. I love how she connects you to the characters with their vulnerability and honest statements. I’m not going to spoil anything but Nikki’s arc is so special. I was excited, happy, angry, scared and worried throughout it. Mother Rita is an absolute legend. First for being a super user and advocate for the library and how she lived. She patiently taught Nikki her history. We need more mother Rita’s in our life.
Like take my hand, her author note provides so much insight and knowledge.

Once again I learned a lot from Dolen Perkins-Valdez. She does an amazing job with her research and makes history come to life in ways that are exciting and interesting.

Happy Land is an amazing exploration of family, legacy, and resilience. Told through dual timelines, following current day Niki as she uncovers her family’s past with Luella’s struggle to preserve the Kingdom of the Happy Land. The storytelling flawlessly balances historical depth and present-day urgency, with themes like stolen land, systemic injustice, and the strength of Black communities.

I usually like one timeline over the other, but I think DPV did a great job in keeping me invested in both-intermingling them so very well! There were chapters that ended with me on edge and wanting to hurry to get back to other timeline, Nikki or Luella.

I loved reading the women’s strength while fighting for a voice in their community and the heartbreaking dynamics between characters of the past, keep the narrative gripping. Standout moments include the emotional unraveling of family secrets and the touching sacrifices made to protect their heritage.

An absolute favorite narrates this one, Bahni Turpin along side Ashley J Hobbs. Both narrators delivered compelling performances that bring the characters and their emotions to life. I like to blend both physical and audio together and I would recommend both to you. If one format is chosen over the other, you can’t go wrong with either preference.

I am definitely a fan of Dolen Perkins-Valdez after not reading this book as well as Take My Hand. I will be anxiously awaiting what she delivers to us next!

Synopsis: After the Civil War, a group of former slaves travel to a North Carolina mountainside to establish their own kingdom. This story follows Luella Montgomery, queen of the Happy Land, as she and her family establish their life as free people. The other timeline follows her present day ancestors, Nikki and her grandmother, as they fight to reclaim their family’s land.

Thoughts: This is such a powerful story of the importance of family and heritage and legacy. I was fully captivated by both timelines and the strong women featured in each. One thing I love about historical fiction is learning about historical events not covered in a typical history class, and this one is fascinating and clearly well researched. Highly recommend! A note on the audio: Narrated by Bahni Turpin, who I love, and Ashley J. Hobbs, a new-to-me narrator who is also excellent.

Read this if you like:
🌸 dual timeline/pov
🌸 historical fiction
🌸 multi-generational family
🌸 strong women
🌸 based on a true story

I loved Take My Hand but didn’t find this as compelling. I often have a hard time with rotating timelines in historical fiction and sadly the different plots didn’t hold my attention.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this early!! This was a beautiful written story. The author did an amazing job drawing you in with dual POVs and vivid descriptions . I also enjoyed the romantic aspects of the story.
As someone born and raised in the rural area of North Carolina this story touched me in so many ways and provoked so many emotions. The atmosphere described in the store was point on and written beautifully. I couldn’t help but think about my great-grandma anytime Mother Rita was on the page. It brought happy memories of her cozy home, her garden, her cornbread, and her sassy attitude🥰

While Mother Rita was a joy, Luella and the building of the kingdom was the star of the show. The past POV of the story drew me in and gave me a sense of pride in just being a black woman. Her resilience, her strength, her mistakes, and her determination to build something and be heard was inspiring.

I also enjoyed the historical aspects of Black people and the importance and value in owning things. This is truly a story that will provoke thought and emotion.

Read this if you like:
•family history
•generations of strong women
•found family

I loved how this was told in past & present timelines watching the story unfold. I had never heard of Kingdom of the Happy Land but what a cool part of history to learn about. A community where emancipated slaves built a community on freedom & self sufficiency. Multigenerational stories always tug at my heart strings and this was no different. Thank you Berkley for eARC

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC!
I'll always be here for a story about the Kingdom of Happy Land! This was a great depiction of this Black historical setting that we don't hear about. I love that the author wove in modern settings to help tell the story of these courageous people.
I found myself wanting to learn about what happened between Nikki's mother and grandmother-I did think it took too long to uncover those family secrets. I loved Queen Luella, she was kind but forceful in her determination to secure a legacy for her family.
If you love multi-pov and dual timelines style of historical fiction, then definitely read this book. I want everyone to learn about Happy Land and the only American queen.

I was captivated by this historical fiction tale of the Happy Land, a kingdom built and owned by former slaves.

The story is told in a dual timeline: in one, we get the background story as Luella and her people set up their kingdom and find a way to purchase the land for themselves, and in the other we see her great-great-great granddaughter Nikki learn about her ancestors' hold on the land.

The story is fascinating, particularly in the fact that it is rooted in history. Perkins-Valdez clearly did her research, and I was sent down the rabbit hole trying to learn more about this tale once I finished reading.

The characters are well-developed and filled with determination, resilience, and spirit. The audiobook narrators truly became these characters, and their soothing tones and inflection fit the material perfectly.

Thank you to Berkley for the gifted ARC.

Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is was exactly what I needed, in the exact moment I needed it! It is a breathtaking novel that masterfully intertwines past and present, revealing the deep emotional ties between land, memory, and identity. Through beautifully drawn characters and evocative prose, Perkins-Valdez explores how history lingers in the soil, shaping the lives of those who come after. I resonated with this story so much as an African American women who grew up on acres on land, that were later lost as the elders in my family passed away. I understand the deeper meaning of the land and the emotional connection between the land and those who have lived on it.

What makes this novel so powerful is its ability to convey the weight of generational trauma and resilience. The land itself feels like a character—holding secrets, pain, and hope—forcing the present to reckon with its past. The emotional depth is striking, as modern-day perspectives are shaped by histories that refuse to be forgotten. The novel’s rich storytelling and poignant revelations make it impossible to put down.

Perkins-Valdez crafts a story that is both heart-wrenching and hopeful, reminding us that history is never truly in the past. A must-read.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group so much for this ARC. I will 100% recommend this novel. Cannot wait to purchase a physical copy.

A compelling read.
I had heard snippets of communities like described in the book but didn’t know much about them.
The story is also about family, history, and place.
Often fights can tear irreparable rents in families but are they worth the sacrifice and loss?
Th book will make readers pause and contemplate many things but also consider it’s not too late to change be things.

Great historical fiction about an area and subject matter that I hadn't really thought about. The rights of property of newly freed slaves and the ways that white people took advantage of black people to "steal" the property back. Also the way that people organized their civilizations was interesting. I learned a lot.

4.75 ⭐️

Wow! What a book! This is more than just about a generation of women who lost their way. It’s about their ancestors who paved a way for their families in the future. While I struggled with keeping up with the generation names, I understood the plot perfectly and thought the story flowed well.


I can’t wait to dive more into the real story behind this African American Kingdom.



Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity of reading this as an E-arc <3

Happy Land is a beautifully layered story that weaves together past and present, legacy and self-discovery, family and forgiveness. What struck me most was how the story unfolds in two timelines—following Nikki as she uncovers her family's history while we’re also transported into the lives of her ancestors, the king and queen of a powerful and symbolic kingdom.

The split narrative was done so well. As Nikki learns more about the kingdom of Happy Land, we, as readers, experience the journey alongside her. Watching her fight for her family’s legacy while also trying to mend the fractured bond between her mother and grandmother felt incredibly personal and resonant. This story didn’t just focus on the land or history—it reminded us of the importance of connection, healing, and the urgency of not waiting too long to share your truth with the people you love.

I was deeply moved by the message that our stories matter—both the ones we inherit and the ones we choose to tell. The back-and-forth between timelines gave so much richness and emotional depth, especially as questions were answered from unexpected perspectives.

This was a powerful, heartfelt, and deeply intentional read. A true five-star story that reminds us that honoring the past can be the key to creating a new future. Absolutely beautiful.

Thanks to @berkleypub for the gifted e-ARC and to @prhaudio for the ALC!

I live about 40 minutes south of the town of Flat Rock, NC, where this book is set. I’ve spent a lot of time hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. So it was fun to read a book set in a location I am familiar with.

I was completely unfamiliar, however, with the history behind this book. Following the Civil War, a Black community, newly freed from slavery, made their way north from Spartanburg, SC (neighboring city to where I live) to the Blue Ridge Mountains where they worked and saved to buy 205 acres of land in North and South Carolina. There they established The Kingdom of the Happy Land, where they could be safe from the KKK and the racism that came about when reconstruction was lifted. This book tells their story. As well as a modern timeline of their descendants.

The writing in this book is gorgeous with beautiful descriptions of the natural world and the mountains of the Blue Ridge. I loved the characters too. Both the historical and modern women were strong and courageous. They fought for their families and their land.

I loved both audio narrators and how they brought the different characters to life. I’m glad it was a dual narration as that set apart the historical time and the modern one. I was easily able to tell which time period I was in.

I highly recommend this book. And I am excited to attend an author event next month!

Rightfully named a Most Anticipated Book of 2025; Happy Land is finally here! A young black woman learns the story of her family's ties to an American Kingdom in this multi-generational novel inspired by true events.

When Grandma calls, granddaughter comes running. After years of silence due to a mysterious estrangement between her mother and grandmother, Nikki does not hesitate to drop everything when her grandmother calls out of the blue asking for a visit. Upon arrival, Mother Rita tells Nikki about a kingdom on this very mountain and its Queen Luella.

The Kingdom of Happy Land sounds like a fairy tale—royalty, community, freed people, acres and acres of owned land. Nikki soon learns this land is their legacy so she must do whatever possible to protect it while trying to heal a broken relationship.

Dolen Perkins-Valdez took her time with this one, Bookhearts. The prep, the history, the facts, the setting details, the character development and the story itself was so well written and thorough. I had no prior knowledge of kingdoms on U.S. soil or the rich origins of bordering land. I was as caught up in the logistics of land ownership as I was the character's relationships and emotions.

Happy Land just may have sparked a leisure research project. It truly is a fascinating 5-star story.

Happy Early Pub Day, Dolen Perkins-Valdez! Happy Land will be available Tuesday, April 8.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Y’all… I closed this book and just sat there. Like, had to process. Dolen Perkins-Valdez didn’t write a book—she laid down a whole lineage, a love letter to Black land, legacy, and loss. And when I tell you that author’s note had me tight?! $326 BILLION lost?? I was up at 2 AM Googling and mad all over again.

Happy Land is one of those reads where you feel the weight of every generation on your chest. It’s a beautifully layered dual-timeline story that follows Nikki in the present and her ancestor Luella, the Queen of Happy Land (yes, that was a real Black town with royalty—RUN that back if you need to). You get land ownership, family secrets, complicated Black women, love, grief, tradition. And yes, I was in my feelings the whole time.

Nikki felt like my cousin—the one who got out but still got ties to home. Her story was about returning, reconnecting, and realizing you can’t outrun legacy. Mother Rita? Stubborn, wise, sharp with the tongue… reminded me of every matriarch I know. And Luella? Whew. That girl carried a whole community on her back before she was grown, and never stopped believing in something better. Her resilience had me emotional.

The pacing? Intentional. If you want fast, this ain’t that. This is a slow burn rooted in character and emotion. I loved it for that. It gave me time to feel—really feel—what these women were carrying. It’s like… as you read, you start reflecting on your own people, your own place in this bigger story.

By the end, I was thinking about land in a whole new way. I’m a born-and-raised city girl, but this book had me wondering where my people once called home. Got me wanting to plant something, dig into my roots, ask more questions at the next family function.

If you love character-driven historical fiction that hits your soul and teaches you something along the way, this one’s for you. Don’t play. Get this book and let it shift something in you.

5⭐️ “Happy Land” ARC review

African kingdoms. Slavery. Fleeing. Freedom. Community. Tainted Mother-daughter relationships. Confusing romantic relationships. ✨“Frustratingly beautiful” ✨ is how I would describe Happy Land. This book was everything🌸🩷

We as Black people always hear we were Queens and Kings in Africa and the people of Happy Land were determined to have that happiness and royalty here on their own terms. And they did.
I learned so much about my home state of North Carolina and the people of Henderson County. It’s amazing the rich history we have as Black people that we are still learning about today.

This story centers around Luella and the kingdom of Happy Land in the late 1800s. Freed slaves traveled from South Carolina to the mountains of North Carolina fleeing from the klan in SC. And in present day, Veronica “Nikki,” a descendant of Luella’s is asked by her estranged grandmother to visit her in North Carolina, not sharing the reason why. At times I was screaming at Nikki to ask questions and screaming at Mother Rita to just stop talking in riddles! But that is the reality of communication between certain generations. There were so many conversations that didn’t happen between all four of these women.

The exploration of familial relationships and secrets are heavy in this story. The importance of passing down our stories, our culture, and history, teaches Luella and Nikki valuable lessons. Nikki and her estranged grandmother connect over these stories while on the land their family kingdom once thrived on. But as always, there’s a sinister threat to have what is ours, taken away from us as if we as Black people never existed or owned it. “Take up residence in the Kingdom.”

Happy Land has definitely made my Top 3 of 2025. Frustratingly beautiful and all. 🩷

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

This was such a beautiful, multi-generational story that showcased a part of history that I knew very little about. I found myself deeply captivated by the story, especially whenever we were brought to Luella’s timeline/ POV. As the story progressed, the family history and secrets were slowly revealed and brought forward themes of incredible resilience, courage, and strength. I am so glad I was able to read this historical fiction novel, and grateful that the story brought me to do more research on the history of the Kingdom of Happy Land.

Happy Land
By Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Thank you to @berkleyromance for free book #berkleypartner #berkley All opinions are my own.

“I thought books was magical, that they cast spells. To read was to have the language to ask for things you wanted, so I became determined to teach myself.”

I am so grateful to Berkley for putting together such a beautiful panel of women in February to celebrate black authors. At that event Dolen Perkins-Valdez stole my heart and afterwards I couldn’t wait to read her inspiring story about the kingdom that once existed in the hills of Appalachia.

In Happy Land, Nikki is called to North Carolina by her estranged grandmother and told the story of Queen Luella, her great-great-great-grandmother, who came to own land and rule the kingdom of Happy Land, a community of formerly enslaved black men and women. As Niki learns about the kingdom she begins to understand how deeply connected she and her daughter are to her family’s land and how great the loss would be should it be taken from them.

I highly recommend this amazing book and am so grateful for the opportunity to have read it. It is immersive and magical and just so beautifully written. Five stars, for me.

Read if you like:

Historical fiction
Multi-generational stories
Strong female leads
Family Legacy
Dual Timelines
Multiple POV