This story was both heartbreaking and redemptive as it details the lasting impact of enslavement on Black families, the loss of generational wealth through exploitation, and the need for connection through friends and family.

This is also a Story of self discovery and finding one’s place in the world. Told in a split-time format, it was interesting to see some of the parallels in Queen Luella's and Nikki’s lives. Both women lived and made decisions based on
What would happen to others and not necessarily
What was best for them. In the end, Queen Luella's choices gave Nikki freedom.

The side characters were well written and equally well developed. My favorite was Maddie Mae, mother Rita's best friend. She just seemed so real... Like an auntie.

I enjoyed the budding romance between Nikki and Bryan, the librarian, and like to think they got married. I want to believe that Nikki and her daughter resolved their issues and found some measure of happiness.

I received this as an advance copy for a fair review. First, and most interestingly, the topic is an unknown part of our history: a black settlement known as " The Kingdom of the Happy Land." This actual "black communal society" existed in Western North Carolina during Reconstruction. Not much is actually known as most of it has vanished, but it's possibility "reflects on a curious story of a Black Appalachian utopia" as Danielle Dukin writes in her webpage, "A Black Kingdom in postbellum Appalachia." But this premise is intriguing.

Valdez starts her book in present day with a fictional relative of the founders of this kingdom going to visit her grandmother, Mother Rita. Mother Rita has called Nikki "home" as she needs help staying on her land and since Nikki is a real estate agent, Mother Rita believes Nikki can help her. The book then switches to the past with the founding "queen," Luella Bobo, of Happy Land telling her story of how this kingdom came to be. Alternating between past and present, the interlocking stories have a similar theme: achieving ownership of the land and evading unscrupulous provocateurs, though this is a lighter theme compared to the stories of two women discovering what they are capable of doing and achieving.

I enjoyed the modern story a bit more than the story of the founding of Happy Land because of the legal aspects involved in Mother Rita getting her land back. While Luella's story was essential, I just didn't resonate as well with it.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read as well as an opportunity to learn more about black history.

As she's done in her previous books, Perkins-Valdez again dives into lesser-explored history that deserves to be better known, this time the little known history of the kingdom founded by freedpeople in the 1870s along the NC/SC border. A contemporary storyline contributes to the sense that the past isn't dead, it isn't even past. Stirring and beautifully written.

Dolen Perkins-Valdez has written another stunning novel in Happy Land. The story follows the Lovejoy family of women as the timeline moves between present day and the time of the Kingdom of the Happy Land. I enjoyed both sides of the story and was especially interested to learn that the story was based on actual historical facts. These are strong women who want nothing more than to restore the land of the Kindgom and allow future generations to thrive there. Characters are well-developed and you’ll find yourself rooting for them right to the very satisfying end.

When you pick up a Dolen Perkins-Valdez book, you know you are in for something special. She will weave a remarkable story that threads historical events into a beautiful narrative that sticks with you. I had never heard of post-Civil War Black communities and kingdoms. She shared her knowledge, mixed in with descriptive writing to teach me something new. It even sparked me to do more research into the topic.

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.

Really enjoyed this one - will be buying for my store. Explores a part of American history I doubt many have heard about and raises really good questions about reparations, land ownership, and what justice looks like.

I love this book and Historical Fiction. I felt so many emotions and so much pride reading this book. I didn't know that this was based on a true story and that makes it even better. Wow. This book made me want to go start a garden and also go find out more about who I come from. A beautiful story about legacy, land ownership and the ancestors that paved the way for us.

This is my second book that I've read by this author and she did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Dolmen Perkins-Valdez’s historical fiction book, “Happy Land,” embraces a people, land, and culture unknown to many. The story unfolds when Mother Rita calls on her granddaughter for help in keeping her land. Through her grandmother, Victoria discovers the story of an established Kingdom of Happy Land, its kings and queen, and how it came to be. She learns of its struggles to endure and why the land means so much to her grandmother.
The book appealed to me because the story revolves around family (present and past) conflict and resolution. In addition, it started me on a search to learn more of this kingdom that was!

I loved this story about a little piece of history that I had heard nothing about! Another reason why historical fiction is my favorite genre.. entertainment with the added value of educating myself. :). I loved the way the author went back and forth between decades and characters to tell the story of Happy Land and all of the characters involved.

I love historical fiction books that jump between the past and the present. I think it really showcases how much the past influences the present even if it was generations ago.

I had never heard of a Kingdom in the US and I found this fascinating and inspiring to see how a group of people banded together and created a loving society that worked together for the good of the people.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

This book is an inspiring exploration of the courage it takes to confront the past and protect what is rightfully yours. It’s a poignant reminder that our family stories shape who we are, and in this case, Nikki’s journey is as much about reclaiming her heritage as it is about honoring the dreamers who came before her. A must-read for fans of historical fiction with a rich emotional core.

This is a historic family saga with a dual timeline. In the present time we follow Nikki who is reconnecting with her grandmother she barely knows. Her grandmother, Mother Rita, wants to teach Nikki about their rich family roots. In the past we dig into those roots and we see a family that has endured, including slavery. If that's a trigger for you I would be careful because this book does not hide any of the monstrosities that comes with. Overall, this was a stunning novel with powerful characters that were rich and distinctive. And the prose was fruitful and beautiful. This was definitely a 5 star read for me.

I loved this book from the first page to the last and want everyone to read it!

In this dual timeline, Nikki (present time) is summoned from D.C. to North Carolina by her estranged grandmother, Mother Rita for an unknown reason. Before she'll tell Nikki why, Mother Rita insists that Nikki learn about her ancestors, specifically her great-great-great grandmother and their history with the physical land in N.C., once known as the Kingdom of Happy Land.

As with most dual timelines, I liked the present time but loved the past. Without giving any spoilers (this part is in the book description), I'm in awe of the men, women and children who came out of slavery physically and emotionally beaten and broken, and had the wherewithal to create new lives. Happy Land provides stunning insight into a real group of freedpeople who established their own community. The characters' connection and linkage to the land was beautifully told and so impactful.

This is my first Dolen Perkins-Valdez book (although truth be told, Take My Hand has been on my TBR for two years). Her writing is so lovely and easy, and flows nicely between timelines, a testament to her talent as that can easily feel choppy and messy but doesn't get even close here. The imagery is so vivid and clear I can picture every scene. The author's note gives more details on the community she based the book on, and I immediately began looking it up to learn more. She also touches on Blacks having their land wealth taken from them, which has true far-reaching and devastating impacts.

I would highly recommend Happy Land!

TY to BookBrowse and NetGalley for the digital ARC! I'll absolutely be buying a physical copy when it's released.

In the 1870s, a group of formerly enslaved people settled in the mountains outside Hendersonville, North Carolina, and established the Kingdom of the Happy Land. This land was inspired by and thrived like the African kingdoms of their ancestors. Fast forward to the present day: the Kingdom is long forgotten, but a descendant remains who wants to preserve her family’s legacy, and the land connected to it. She reminds herself—and all of us—that honoring and understanding our ancestors’ past helps their descendants thrive.

This is a wonderfully written historical novel with complex characters who had me rooting for them from page one. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

I adore historical fiction based on real events, especially those like the Kingdom of the Happy Land, which would be lost to history without writers like Dolen Perkins-Valdez bringing these stories to life.

Thank you to BookBrowse and Berkley for an early read in exchange for a fair review.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this book galley in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this unexpectedly delightful book based on part on historical truth. Loved the characters, the storyline and the redemption of promise as the story concluded. It is so easy to see how these individuals banded together to bring back their culture, traditions and lifestyle of “all for one and one for all” that they experienced before being enslaved. It was surprising to me that they all readily agreed to pool their treasury, especially given what ultimately happens to their land. I enjoyed the complexity of the mother-daughter-granddaughter relationships and how it informed their life choices. It was frustrating to read and understand about how the happy land residents were so naive to believe that the honor they bestowed on others was not respected. Greed and years of inaction didn’t help. Highly recommend.

I love a good historical fiction book and Happy Land delivered. It is an emotional family drama told by two different generations of women. The present is told by Nikki, a woman reconnecting with her grandmother and by extension her ancestors back to post-civil war time. The past is told by Luella, a freed slave living in a self-sustaining kingdom built by a community of other free slaves. The two stories merge to an emotional, fitting conclusion.

I quite enjoyed the author's previous book, Take My Hand, so I was excited to get my hands on this one.

The topic of this book is one that needs to be told and it was written in an interesting way. We are given 2 POV's with time periods in the 1800's and current. Both black women of the same family. The main point of the book is surrounding black owned land, how it was acquired and how it was stolen from them through "legal" means. I've known of this aspect of history, so it wasn't new to me, but I appreciated a deeper dive into how it was handled. With that we are given emotions as we follow these strong women and the unfairness of the position they are placed in. I love that the women were the focus rather than men.

While I loved this subject, I found that the story dragged. At about the half way point I was needing the plot to pick up or become more complicated to keep me invested. While it did a little bit, I still felt that I had to push myself to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the gifted e-copy of this book.

A tale of family, land ownership, and freedom. Learning the history of this intentional community shows the perseverance of a people. The love and heartbreak we can feel within our families is shown throughout this book. It gives hope through history.

This is another great story told by the author of Take My Hand. Another historical fiction tale that had me completely engaged. The author's skilled writing made me feel that I was right there with her characters. Bravo!