Happy Land

De: Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Narrado por: Bahni Turpin, Ashley J. Hobbs

A woman learns the incredible story of a real-life American Kingdom—and her family’s ties to it—in this enthralling novel from the New York Times bestselling, NAACP Image Award-winning author of Take My Hand.

As featured in The Washington Post ∙ People ∙ Harper's Bazaar ∙ NPR ∙ TODAY ∙ ELLE ∙ PopSugar ∙ Reader's Digest ∙ SheReads ∙ Woman’s World ∙ Real Simple ∙ BookBrowse ∙ and more!

Nikki hasn’t seen her grandmother in years. So when the elder calls out of the blue with an urgent request for Nikki to visit her in the hills of western North Carolina, Nikki hesitates only for a moment. After years of silence in her family, due to a mysterious estrangement between her mother and grandmother, she’s determined to learn the truth while she still can.

But instead of answers about the recent past, Mother Rita tells Nikki an incredible story of a kingdom on this very mountain, and of her great-great-great grandmother, Luella, who would become its queen.

It sounds like the makings of a fairy tale—royalty among a community of freed people. But the more Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land, and the lives of those who dwelled in the ruins she discovers in the woods, the more she realizes how much of her identity and her family’s secrets are wrapped up in these hills. Because this land is their legacy, and it will be up to her to protect it before it, like so much else, is stolen away.

Inspired by true events, Happy Land is a transporting multi-generational novel about the stories that shape us and the dazzling courage it takes to dream.

©2025 Dolen Perkins-Valdez (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"An intergenerational epic with urgent contemporary stakes. . . Replete with confounding human dilemmas, intricately nuanced characters, and startlingly original romance, this intimate family drama subtly weaves into a national indictment of ongoing predatory property law and the history of Black land loss."—Oprah Daily

“Perkins-Valdez writes of this land with admiration, awe, and precision, weaving a triumphant story that will stir readers to attention."—ELLE

"Picture a time when a kingdom existed inside the confines of the Carolinas—a time when freedpeople were royalty. What if that was your history, instead of the trauma of enslavement and generational poverty? As Dolen Perkins-Valdez says in this astonishing, historical-based novel—a family tree isn’t just something you draw on paper. It’s only when you’re rooted in the soil that your family once inhabited that your imagination can brush the sky.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name

The family knowledge

There was nothing that I disliked about this book. The narrators were good and the story was a powerful reminder of family, history, disappointments, reconciliation and how knowing the past can propel you into your future.

Exceptionally Moving and Inspiring

This historically based novel hurts and heals, infuriates and inspires with a wonderful family saga woven across more than a century. The causes of the racial wealth gap are exposed. The characters are so amazingly relatable that I cried and then my sighted and I committed to doing better in our family. I loved it.

Excellent!

A well written novel. I love the way the author gives us a history lesson through an entertaining story. I cannot wait for the her next book release!

What an incredible story!!! A must read!!!

Dolen Perkins-Valdez (author of Take My Hand) has done it again! Another incredible historical fiction novel, this one less heartbreaking but no less captivating! A depiction of a true Black Kingdom in NC that produced a family whose story is a beautiful one that weaves together the heart strings of a strained family bond. The imagination and belief of a people and later the belief of its descendants created this beautiful story! Grateful for Dolen’s research and incredible storytelling! A definite must-read!!! And also beautifully narrated by Bahni Turpin & Ashley J. Hobbs!

Excellent!!

Excellent read!!! Highly recommend, I completed it in less than an hour. You will not be disappointed!

Strong women!

I followed along at the edge of my seat. All the characters were so believable! They became my family!

It was good!

I think I was expecting writing like Take my Hand. Its hard to describe but I was not thrilled by the narrative. It might be because I read The American Queen which was about Queen and King. It was slow starting book. The go between present and past was okay but the granddaughter narratoring her feelings was a bit to much. Just my thought

I AM IN TEARS. SO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN

I loved the way this story was weaved together. It’s beautiful. I am a DC girl named Nikki, I went to Bennett College. I am inspired by my grandmothers in so many ways. From learning about fragrance through their vanities to gardening. The way the author tells these two stories floored me by the end. I’m heading to DC to go hug my grandmother.

A wonderful story

I love the character development and the twists and turns of the story. I highly recommend. Not to mention, I can listen to Bahni Turpin's voice all day long!

Inspiring

I liked the impact of generations of women in a small community. It is thoughtfully written and well researched.

I found myself swept up in the relationships between mothers, grandmothers, daughters and grandmothers. I cared about all the characters including the men intertwined with the women.

I found the illustration of the strife between mother and daughter too realistic .