About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherPenguin Publishing Group

ISBN-100593337727

ISBN-139780593337721

eBay Product ID (ePID)27069438832

Product Key Features

Book TitleHappy Land

Number of Pages368 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2025

TopicContemporary Women, African American / Historical, Literary

GenreFiction

AuthorDolen Perkins-Valdez

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height1.2 in

Item Weight19.6 Oz

Item Length9.3 in

Item Width6.3 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

LCCN2024-029841

Reviews"What a story! Happy Land is an exhilarating tale of perseverance, identity, and love that echoes across generations. This story of formerly enslaved families in the Blue Ridge Mountains who built a community against all odds will stay with me for a long time." -- Charmaine Wilkerson , New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake "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, "What a story! Happy Land is an exhilarating tale of perseverance, identity, and love that echoes across generations. This story of formerly enslaved families in the Blue Ridge Mountains who built a community against all odds will stay with me for a long time." -- Charmaine Wilkerson , New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake "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 "No one writes the historical novel quite like Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and with Happy Land , she's at her brilliant best, opening History's treasure-filled chest--and then, bringing that history to life. Here is the Ancestor who cried, laughed, and hoped before any of us were born. Here is the vulnerable earth that tenders its secrets. In Happy Land , Perkins-Valdez offers the knowledge that we surely need: to move forward, we must understand what came before. Her existing fans will be so satisfied--and her new readers will be captivated." -- Honorée Fanonne Jeffers , New York Times bestselling author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois "Dolen Perkins-Valdez has the range, depth, and vision to capture the dreams of a people on the pages of a novel. Happy Land is exactly the novel we need right here, right now. Accompanied by the musical speech of the American south, Perkins-Valdez sings a song to remind us that freedom is worth fighting for." -- Tayari Jones , New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage, "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 "A scenic read with depth."-- TODAY "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 "No one writes the historical novel quite like Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and with Happy Land , she's at her brilliant best, opening History's treasure-filled chest--and then, bringing that history to life. Here is the Ancestor who cried, laughed, and hoped before any of us were born. Here is the vulnerable earth that tenders its secrets. In Happy Land , Perkins-Valdez offers the knowledge that we surely need: to move forward, we must understand what came before. Her existing fans will be so satisfied--and her new readers will be captivated." -- Honorée Fanonne Jeffers , New York Times bestselling author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois "Dolen Perkins-Valdez has the range, depth, and vision to capture the dreams of a people on the pages of a novel. Happy Land is exactly the novel we need right here, right now. Accompanied by the musical speech of the American south, Perkins-Valdez sings a song to remind us that freedom is worth fighting for." -- Tayari Jones , New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage "What a story! Happy Land is an exhilarating tale of perseverance, identity, and love that echoes across generations. This story of formerly enslaved families in the Blue Ridge Mountains who built a community against all odds will stay with me for a long time."-- Charmaine Wilkerson , New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake " Happy Land is the balm we all need now: a vivid imagining of past events that picks up where the archives fall short, and in doing so, not only repairs our limited view into the past, but brings potential for healing in our present and future." -- Ilyon Woo , New York Times bestselling author of Master Slave Husband Wife "Perkins-Valdez ( Take My Hand ) shines in this exquisite tale . . . It's a beautifully rendered depiction of a lost world . . . Readers will be deeply satisfied." --Publishers Weekly "A lyrical and unique work of historical fiction . . . Fans of hidden-history narratives will enjoy her hopeful, empowering tale." -- Library Journal "Perkins-Valdez's characters are tenacious and industrious, thoughtful and curious, and their desire to preserve where they came from forms the heart of the novel." --BookPage "Inspired by the true story of the Kingdom of the Happy Land, this mesmerizing tale shows how aspects of our history help us see ourselves in a new light." -- Real Simple "Perkins-Valdez excels at historical fiction, and we are running not walking to read this one." --Scary Mommy, "What a story! Happy Land is an exhilarating tale of perseverance, identity, and love that echoes across generations. This story of formerly enslaved families in the Blue Ridge Mountains who built a community against all odds will stay with me for a long time." -- Charmaine Wilkerson , New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake, "What a story! Happy Land is an exhilarating tale of perseverance, identity, and love that echoes across generations. This story of formerly enslaved families in the Blue Ridge Mountains who built a community against all odds will stay with me for a long time."-- Charmaine Wilkerson , New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake "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 "No one writes the historical novel quite like Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and with Happy Land , she's at her brilliant best, opening History's treasure-filled chest--and then, bringing that history to life. Here is the Ancestor who cried, laughed, and hoped before any of us were born. Here is the vulnerable earth that tenders its secrets. In Happy Land , Perkins-Valdez offers the knowledge that we surely need: to move forward, we must understand what came before. Her existing fans will be so satisfied--and her new readers will be captivated." -- Honorée Fanonne Jeffers , New York Times bestselling author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois "Dolen Perkins-Valdez has the range, depth, and vision to capture the dreams of a people on the pages of a novel. Happy Land is exactly the novel we need right here, right now. Accompanied by the musical speech of the American south, Perkins-Valdez sings a song to remind us that freedom is worth fighting for." -- Tayari Jones , New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage " Happy Land is the balm we all need now: a vivid imagining of past events that picks up where the archives fall short, and in doing so, not only repairs our limited view into the past, but brings potential for healing in our present and future." -- Ilyon Woo , New York Times bestselling author of Master Slave Husband Wife "Perkins-Valdez ( Take My Hand ) shines in this exquisite tale . . . It's a beautifully rendered depiction of a lost world . . . Readers will be deeply satisfied." --Publishers Weekly "A lyrical and unique work of historical fiction . . . Fans of hidden-history narratives will enjoy her hopeful, empowering tale." -- Library Journal, "What a story! Happy Land is an exhilarating tale of perseverance, identity, and love that echoes across generations. This story of formerly enslaved families in the Blue Ridge Mountains who built a community against all odds will stay with me for a long time." -- Charmaine Wilkerson , New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake "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 "No one writes the historical novel quite like Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and with Happy Land , she's at her brilliant best, opening History's treasure-filled chest--and then, bringing that history to life. Here is the Ancestor who cried, laughed, and hoped before any of us were born. Here is the vulnerable earth that tenders its secrets. In Happy Land , Perkins-Valdez offers the knowledge that we surely need: to move forward, we must understand what came before. Her existing fans will be so satisfied--and her new readers will be captivated." -- Honorée Fanonne Jeffers , New York Times bestselling author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, "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 "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 "No one writes the historical novel quite like Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and with Happy Land , she's at her brilliant best, opening History's treasure-filled chest--and then, bringing that history to life. Here is the Ancestor who cried, laughed, and hoped before any of us were born. Here is the vulnerable earth that tenders its secrets. In Happy Land , Perkins-Valdez offers the knowledge that we surely need: to move forward, we must understand what came before. Her existing fans will be so satisfied--and her new readers will be captivated." -- Honorée Fanonne Jeffers , New York Times bestselling author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois "Dolen Perkins-Valdez has the range, depth, and vision to capture the dreams of a people on the pages of a novel. Happy Land is exactly the novel we need right here, right now. Accompanied by the musical speech of the American south, Perkins-Valdez sings a song to remind us that freedom is worth fighting for." -- Tayari Jones , New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage "What a story! Happy Land is an exhilarating tale of perseverance, identity, and love that echoes across generations. This story of formerly enslaved families in the Blue Ridge Mountains who built a community against all odds will stay with me for a long time."-- Charmaine Wilkerson , New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake " Happy Land is the balm we all need now: a vivid imagining of past events that picks up where the archives fall short, and in doing so, not only repairs our limited view into the past, but brings potential for healing in our present and future." -- Ilyon Woo , New York Times bestselling author of Master Slave Husband Wife "Perkins-Valdez ( Take My Hand ) shines in this exquisite tale . . . It's a beautifully rendered depiction of a lost world . . . Readers will be deeply satisfied." --Publishers Weekly "A lyrical and unique work of historical fiction . . . Fans of hidden-history narratives will enjoy her hopeful, empowering tale." -- Library Journal "Perkins-Valdez's characters are tenacious and industrious, thoughtful and curious, and their desire to preserve where they came from forms the heart of the novel." --BookPage "Perkins-Valdez excels at historical fiction, and we are running not walking to read this one." --Scary Mommy, "What a story! Happy Land is an exhilarating tale of perseverance, identity, and love that echoes across generations. This story of formerly enslaved families in the Blue Ridge Mountains who built a community against all odds will stay with me for a long time." -- Charmaine Wilkerson , New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake "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 "No one writes the historical novel quite like Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and with Happy Land , she's at her brilliant best, opening History's treasure-filled chest--and then, bringing that history to life. Here is the Ancestor who cried, laughed, and hoped before any of us were born. Here is the vulnerable earth that tenders its secrets. In Happy Land , Perkins-Valdez offers the knowledge that we surely need: to move forward, we must understand what came before. Her existing fans will be so satisfied--and her new readers will be captivated." -- Honorée Fanonne Jeffers , New York Times bestselling author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois "Dolen Perkins-Valdez has the range, depth, and vision to capture the dreams of a people on the pages of a novel. Happy Land is exactly the novel we need right here, right now. Accompanied by the musical speech of the American south, Perkins-Valdez sings a song to remind us that freedom is worth fighting for." -- Tayari Jones , New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage " Happy Land is the balm we all need now: a vivid imagining of past events that picks up where the archives fall short, and in doing so, not only repairs our limited view into the past, but brings potential for healing in our present and future." -- Ilyon Woo , New York Times bestselling author of Master Slave Husband Wife "A lyrical and unique work of historical fiction . . . Fans of hidden-history narratives will enjoy her hopeful, empowering tale." -- Library Journal, "What a story! Happy Land is an exhilarating tale of perseverance, identity, and love that echoes across generations. This story of formerly enslaved families in the Blue Ridge Mountains who built a community against all odds will stay with me for a long time."-- Charmaine Wilkerson , New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake "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 "No one writes the historical novel quite like Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and with Happy Land , she's at her brilliant best, opening History's treasure-filled chest--and then, bringing that history to life. Here is the Ancestor who cried, laughed, and hoped before any of us were born. Here is the vulnerable earth that tenders its secrets. In Happy Land , Perkins-Valdez offers the knowledge that we surely need: to move forward, we must understand what came before. Her existing fans will be so satisfied--and her new readers will be captivated." -- Honorée Fanonne Jeffers , New York Times bestselling author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois "Dolen Perkins-Valdez has the range, depth, and vision to capture the dreams of a people on the pages of a novel. Happy Land is exactly the novel we need right here, right now. Accompanied by the musical speech of the American south, Perkins-Valdez sings a song to remind us that freedom is worth fighting for." -- Tayari Jones , New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage " Happy Land is the balm we all need now: a vivid imagining of past events that picks up where the archives fall short, and in doing so, not only repairs our limited view into the past, but brings potential for healing in our present and future." -- Ilyon Woo , New York Times bestselling author of Master Slave Husband Wife "A lyrical and unique work of historical fiction . . . Fans of hidden-history narratives will enjoy her hopeful, empowering tale." -- Library Journal

Dewey Edition23

Dewey Decimal813.6

SynopsisA 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., 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 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.

LC Classification NumberPS3616.E7484H37 2025