In her newest novel Happy Land, Dolen Perkins-Valdez weaves a multi-generational tale that resurrects a little-known piece of American history: the Kingdom of the Happy Land, a self-governed community established by formerly enslaved people in the Blue Ridge Mountains following the Civil War. With meticulous historical research and emotional depth, Perkins-Valdez crafts a story that explores the complex relationships between land ownership, family legacy, and the long-reaching tentacles of systemic inequality.
The novel alternates between two timelines: the establishment and eventual decline of the Happy Land kingdom in the 1870s-1890s, and the present day, where we meet Nikki Lovejoy-Berry, a real estate agent summoned to her estranged grandmother’s home in North Carolina. What begins as a reluctant visit evolves into a journey of self-discovery as Nikki uncovers the truth about her family’s legacy as descendants of Queen Luella, one of the founders of the Happy Land kingdom.
Strengths: A Landscape of Resilience
Perkins-Valdez excels at creating richly textured characters who embody historical resilience without becoming one-dimensional symbols. Queen Luella’s chapters are particularly compelling, as we witness her evolution from a young woman unsure of her place to a leader determined to protect her community’s sovereignty. The author skillfully portrays the complexities of Luella’s relationships with the Montgomery brothers, avoiding simplistic moral judgments about her romantic entanglements.
The novel’s greatest achievement is its nuanced exploration of land ownership as both practical necessity and spiritual connection. The Kingdom of the Happy Land represents more than just property—it embodies freedom, autonomy, and the promise of self-determination. When Luella declares, “Fifty acres is still enough to make a life,” we understand that she’s speaking not just about physical space but about the dignity of independence.
The contemporary storyline effectively illustrates how historical injustices continue to reverberate through generations. Through the lens of heirs’ property laws—a legal mechanism that has facilitated the loss of millions of acres of Black-owned land—Perkins-Valdez connects the dots between Reconstruction-era struggles and modern-day wealth disparities. This educational aspect of the novel is woven naturally into the narrative, never feeling didactic.
Where the Kingdom Falters
Despite its many strengths, Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez sometimes struggles with pacing issues. The contemporary sections occasionally feel rushed, with Nikki’s transformation from skeptic to believer happening somewhat abruptly. Her romance with the librarian Bryan, while sweet, feels underdeveloped and secondary to the main plot.
Some readers may find the dual-timeline structure initially disorienting. While both narratives eventually coalesce into a satisfying whole, the transitions between past and present sometimes lack smooth integration, creating a disjointed reading experience in the early chapters.
The novel also occasionally succumbs to moments of sentimentality, particularly in its final chapters. While the multi-generational reunion and Nikki’s ultimate decision about the land provide emotional closure, these scenes sometimes lack the nuanced complexity that characterizes the majority of the book.
Characters: A Tapestry of Voices
The novel’s multigenerational female characters form its emotional backbone:
- Queen Luella: A pragmatic visionary whose journey from enslavement to leadership forms the historical core of the novel. Her complex relationships with both Montgomery brothers add emotional depth without overshadowing her personal agency.
- Nikki Lovejoy-Berry: A disconnected real estate agent whose journey to understand her family history becomes a path to self-discovery. Her skepticism serves as the reader’s entry point into the kingdom’s history.
- Mother Rita: A formidable matriarch fighting to preserve her family’s legacy while confronting terminal illness. Her stubborn insistence on the kingdom’s importance drives the contemporary plot.
- Lorelle (Mama): Represents the generation that rejected rural traditions, creating the rift that Nikki must navigate. Her complex relationship with Mother Rita illustrates how family conflicts often arise from deeply held but opposing values.
The male characters—particularly William and Robert Montgomery—are depicted with psychological complexity, avoiding the trap of making them mere satellites to the women’s stories. Their fraternal bond, strained by their shared love for Luella, adds an element of classical tragedy to the historical narrative.
Themes: The Geography of Identity
Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez explores several interconnected themes:
- Land as Liberation: For the formerly enslaved characters, land ownership represents the ultimate expression of freedom—the ability to govern their own space, maintain their own traditions, and build generational wealth.
- Memory as Inheritance: The novel suggests that stories themselves are a form of inheritance, with Mother Rita passing down not just physical property but the narrative of their royal ancestry.
- Family Reconciliation: The contemporary storyline examines how historical trauma creates rifts between generations and the healing potential of confronting shared history.
- Systemic Injustice: Through its exploration of heirs’ property laws, the novel illuminates how seemingly neutral legal mechanisms have facilitated the massive transfer of Black-owned land to white ownership.
Historical Context: Unearthing Buried History
Perkins-Valdez’s author’s note reveals the meticulous research underpinning the novel. While the Kingdom of the Happy Land was indeed a real historical community, the author corrects misconceptions from previous accounts, noting that the settlers likely came from South Carolina rather than Mississippi as earlier historians claimed.
This commitment to historical accuracy elevates the novel beyond mere fiction into a form of literary recovery work. By reimagining the lives of the kingdom’s inhabitants, Perkins-Valdez honors a community that might otherwise remain a footnote in history.
Prose Style: Rooted in the Land
The prose style shifts effectively between the two timelines. Luella’s chapters feature cadenced, historically appropriate language that captures the rhythms of post-Reconstruction speech without falling into stereotype. Contemporary sections flow with modern directness while maintaining emotional resonance.
Particularly effective are the sensory descriptions of the natural world—the garden scenes with Mother Rita teaching Nikki about flowers create a tangible connection between past and present, land and identity. When Nikki reflects on “the scent of being outdoors” or Mother Rita speaks to her flowers, we understand the spiritual connection to place that drives the entire narrative.
Comparative Analysis
Readers familiar with Perkins-Valdez’s previous works—especially Take My Hand (2022) and Wench (2010)—will recognize her commitment to excavating overlooked moments in African American history. Like Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez transforms historical trauma into a narrative of resilience without minimizing the lasting scars of injustice.
The novel’s exploration of land loss among African American communities recalls Natasha Trethewey’s poetry collection Native Guard and Kiese Laymon’s memoir Heavy, both of which examine how place shapes identity and how displacement creates generational wounds.
Final Verdict: A Flawed but Valuable Addition to American Historical Fiction
Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is a novel of ambitious scope that largely succeeds in its goals. While it occasionally struggles with pacing and some underdeveloped subplots, its central achievement—the resurrection of a forgotten historical community and exploration of generational land loss—makes it a significant contribution to contemporary historical fiction.
The novel is at its strongest when exploring the complexities of family relationships across time, particularly the ways in which mothers and daughters navigate conflicting values while maintaining deep bonds. Nikki’s journey from disconnection to rootedness offers a moving portrait of how historical knowledge can transform personal identity.
For readers interested in overlooked chapters of American history, multigenerational family sagas, or explorations of land and identity, Happy Land offers a rich, if occasionally uneven, reading experience. Perkins-Valdez has created a kingdom worth visiting—one whose citizens, both historical and contemporary, linger in the imagination long after the final page.
Who Should Read This Book
Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez will appeal to readers who enjoy:
- Historical fiction that explores overlooked chapters in American history
- Multi-generational family sagas spanning past and present
- Strong female protagonists navigating complex family relationships
- Explorations of African American land ownership and displacement
- Stories about self-discovery and cultural reconnection
If you appreciated Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns, Ayana Mathis’s The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, or Ta-Nehisi Coates’s The Water Dancer, Perkins-Valdez’s newest novel will likely resonate with you, though it doesn’t quite reach the same heights as these masterworks.
Despite its occasional structural weaknesses, Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez provides a valuable window into a fascinating historical community and a moving exploration of how the past continues to shape our present identities. Perkins-Valdez has established herself as an important voice in contemporary historical fiction, committed to illuminating the overlooked corners of America’s complex past.
