Book Summary and Reviews of Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Reader Reviews

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Liz B. (Dallas, TX)

Wonderful Historical Fiction
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 the story is based on actual historical facts. These are strong women who want nothing more than to restore the land of the Kingdom 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.

Karen S. (Allston, MA)

Royalty reigned in a corner of North Carolina's Reconstruction
Historical fiction helps me learn about history and events I know very little about. This time I learned about a part of Reconstruction that I had truly never heard about. The story line links the early times and founders of HappyLand in North Carolina, with their modern descendants. The author created a convincing sense of a very separate and protected land, where dreams and royalty reigned. The current event in this book are not protected by the magic of a little known history, and were not as intriguing for me. However, they fit the story and served to unwrap the early days of Happy Land. The struggles, victories, changing relationships, and setbacks for the members of this unique community were interesting throughout the book. I found myself thinking about other attempts to form better communities, and not about the stilted communities that can occur with royalty.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in this era of American history.

Debra F. (Cudjoe Key, FL)

The Kingdom
It is amazing how little we know of the history of certain people & places. I never knew there was a 'Kingdom of Happy Land" up in the North Carolina mountains with an honest to goodness King & Queen.

This story is about resilience & family & everything people can and will do for freedom & love. I particularly enjoyed the back story of the Kingdom, how it came to be, what the people had to endure, how they came together for each other, cooking, helping, loving. This story is about family, particularly mothers & daughters. What it takes to survive, how we sometimes have to understand that we don't always want the same things, how to respect our differences while still holding onto our history.
I really loved this story!

Donna M. (Kennesaw, GA)

Happy Land impressions
Happy Land introduced me to a part of American History of which I was never even aware—when former slaves relocated from South Carolina to North Carolina and created their own kingdom. We are shown how important continuity of generations can be.

The author alternated between the present day and the early years of Happy Land, and I thoroughly enjoyed the connected but separate stories. In addition to the themes of trials and difficulties, love of the land, appreciation for the earth's bounty and its benefits were emphasized. As we read stories of courageous and hardworking people, we are also reminded of the glory of nature.

The author writes well and with an authentic and natural voice. The book will be well-received by book groups. Individuals who know little about the kingdom (as it was called) will be fascinated.

Anne C.

Great for a Book Club to Read
Review of “Happy Land” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

The author of this new book mentions in her acknowledgments that she is a fan of historical fiction. That is probably true of a lot of readers, including myself. There is something magical in
learning about a true event, a place, or a group of people, and then reading this new information set in a compelling fiction story with vivid characters to bring it all to life.

The framework of the novel shifts between a group of freed slaves in the antebellum south and their descendants in the present day. The hardships and prejudices endured by the settlers of The Kingdom of the Happy Land are vividly described. The modern characters are portrayed as a family in crisis, with many old grudges and misunderstandings to solve.

The author keeps the interest level high between chapters, as the reader comes to care deeply about the people in both eras. The outcomes are revealed at last, in satisfying conclusions for all.

This is a book I plan to recommend to my neighborhood book club.

Barbara B. (Harlingen, TX)

Happy Land
I loved the story and characters of this book. The Civil War has ended. The KKK is rampant. A group of freed people trek to remote Appalachia. They establish a communal village based on the laws and leadership of the African communities they were forced to leave. They call it Kingdom of Happy Land because all are happy.. They work hard. They prosper. They purchase land. They lose the land. It was a male dominated society until little by little it wasn't..

The story is told by Luella, one of the original settlers (1875) and by Nikki a present time great granddaughter. Nikki is amazed to learn the family history she never suspected but sets out to attempt to correct the wrongs.
Even readers who are not historical history buffs will enjoy these interesting characters. Perhaps while we are being entertained we will all take a moment to reflect on how our past affects our present..

...3 more reader reviews

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