Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
11 April 2025
Written by: Magz H
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy of this book. There are no spoilers in this review.
Synopsis
During post-slavery United States, Luella navigates the life of being the queen of the Kingdom of Happy Land, nestled in the hills of western North Carolina. In contemporary times, Nikki answers her estranged grandmother’s call to visit which gives her more than questions than answers about her family’s history.
Thoughts
I was turning page after page, wondering where I was being led and how would our main protagonists would come out by the end of their stories.
For Luella’s story, her voice was clear on the page with every syllable reverberating in my ear. Her story really captured me in a way I didn’t expect that it would. There were parts that I expected to see in a book like this, but it still took me a bit to process the details without becoming overwhelmed.
For Nikki’s story, it was only towards the end was I able to put together the pieces of who Nikki is. She was a good perspective to use to guide the readers through uncovering the truths wrapped in decades-long silences.
The way Luella’s and Nikki’s stories weaved around each other and converge was carefully crafted. Despite it all, both women, in one way or another, learn to believe in who they are and what they’re capable of doing.
Overall
I’d give Happy Land 4.25/5 stars.
This book snatched my hand and pulled me through a winding multigenerational story of the Lovejoy women. I laughed, I cried, and I fumed. I will likely re-read this book because it reminded me the power of knowing who you are when life really wants to put you through the ringer. The only reason why it’s not a full score is due to some pacing issues that made certain parts of the narrative feel longer than I thought was needed.
This book is for those readers who want to interrogate how we connect to each other, tend to the glimmers of hope so we can push towards a brighter future for everyone. Dreamers and folks of action alike, I hope you find your own Happy Land while reading this book.