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    Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez Summary

    Happy Land
    Dolen Perkins-Valdez
    Fiction
    History
    Society
    Inspirational
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    Overview of Happy Land

    Unearthing a forgotten Black utopia, "Happy Land" reveals how freed slaves built their own kingdom in 1873 North Carolina. NAACP Image Award-winner Perkins-Valdez's meticulously researched epic asks: what if this lost chapter holds the key to understanding America's land justice struggles today?

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    Key Takeaways

    1

    A Kingdom Born from Freedom's Dream

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    Imagine discovering that your ancestors once ruled their own kingdom in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is the revelation at the heart of "Happy Land," where past and present intertwine through the stories of Queen Luella, who helped establish a real post-Civil War Black community called the Kingdom of the Happy Land, and her modern-day descendant Nikki. When nearly-forty Nikki reluctantly visits her estranged grandmother Mother Rita in the mountains of North Carolina, she has no idea she's about to uncover a royal legacy that was deliberately erased from history. Nikki arrives at Mother Rita's isolated mountain home with mixed feelings. Despite being nearly forty, this is her first visit to her grandmother's house. Their relationship is strained - they've only met a handful of times throughout Nikki's life. Life hasn't been kind to Nikki lately. Her daughter Shawnie is unemployed after high school graduation, her real estate career is faltering, and her savings are dwindling. She came because Mother Rita insisted, promising to tell her "everything your mama hasn't told you about our family." The tension between them is palpable. Mother Rita persistently calls her "Veronica" despite her preference for "Nikki," highlighting the disconnect between them. The final split between Nikki's mother and Mother Rita happened shortly after Nikki's father died. Her mother became unraveled by grief and one day announced, "Your grandmother isn't in our lives anymore," refusing to explain why.

    2

    Royal Blood and Historical Foundations

    3

    Building a Kingdom and Fighting for Legacy

    4

    The Battle for Birthright

    5

    Justice Delayed, Not Denied

    6

    A Legacy Reclaimed

    7

    The Power of Knowing Your History