2 of 3 copies available
2 of 3 copies available
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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.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
April 8, 2025 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780593337738
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780593337738
- File size: 3830 KB
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Accessibility
The publisher provides the following statement about the accessibility of the EPUB file supplied to OverDrive. Experiences may vary across reading systems. After borrowing the book, you may download the EPUB files to read in another reading system.
Summary
This ebook features mark-up that supports accessibility and enables compatibility with assistive technology. It has been designed to allow display properties to be modified by the reader. The file includes a table of contents, a defined reading order, and ARIA roles to identify key sections and improve the reading experience. A page list and page break locations help readers coordinate with the print edition. Headings allow readers to navigate the ebook quickly by level. Images are well described in conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Colors meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA contrast standards. There are no hazards.
Ways Of Reading
Appearance of the text and page layout can be modified according to the capabilities of the reading system (font family and font size, spaces between paragraphs, sentences, words, and letters, as well as color of background and text).
All content can be read as read aloud speech or dynamic braille.
Has alternative text descriptions for images.
Conformance
The publication contains a conformance statement that it meets the EPUB Accessibility and WCAG 2 Level AA standard.
The publication was certified by Penguin Random House LLC.
This publication claims to meet EPUB Accessibility 1.1 WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
Navigation
Table of contents to all chapters of the text via links.
Elements such as headings, tables, etc for structured navigation.
Additional Information
Page breaks included
High contrast between text and background
Color is not the sole means of conveying information
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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January 1, 2025
Award-winning and bestselling Perkins-Valdez (Take My Hand, an LJ Best Book) returns with another novel inspired by true events, this time about a woman who discovers her family's legacy as part of the Kingdom of the Happy Land, a self-sustaining community of formerly enslaved men and women who were ruled by a king and queen high in the mountains of the Carolinas before vanishing. Prepub Alert.
Copyright 2024 Library Journal
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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March 1, 2025
After years of no contact, Nikki is shocked when her estranged grandmother, Mother Rita, reaches out and asks her to visit immediately. Hoping she will get some answers about what initiated the rift in her family, Nikki travels to the mountains of western North Carolina, but once there, she learns that her grandmother has a different purpose in mind. Mother Rita is being threatened with eviction, and she hopes Nikki's knowledge as a real estate agent will help save her home. More than just a house, the land represents the Kingdom of the Happy Land, a community built by formerly enslaved people during the post-Civil War years. As Mother Rita shares the story of Nikki's great-great-grandmother Luella and her role in the Kingdom, it soon becomes clear how much is at stake. Inspired by real events, Perkins-Valdez (Take My Hand, 2022) once again blends truth and fiction to powerful effect, weaving together Luella, Mother Rita, and Nikki's stories to demonstrate the many ways the past impacts the present. Historical fiction fans and book clubs will appreciate this exploration of a little-known aspect of American history.COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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February 17, 2025
Perkins-Valdez (Take My Hand) shines in this exquisite tale of a woman who learns about her Black family’s trailblazing history from her estranged grandmother. Nikki Lovejoy-Berry, a real estate agent in Washington, D.C., grew up without ever visiting her mother’s hometown in North Carolina, or knowing why her mom remains estranged from her grandmother, Mother Rita. So when Mother Rita mysteriously summons Nikki to the mountain town of Zirconia, N.C., where Nikki’s mom grew up, she’s intrigued. It turns out Mother Rita is terminally ill and needs help fighting a developer who’s trying to force her off her land. As Nikki attends court dates and provides her grandmother with advice, she learns about her ancestors, who established the area as the Kingdom of the Happy Land, a self-sufficient community for formerly enslaved people after the Civil War. In a parallel narrative, the reader learns about Nikki’s ancestor Luella, who became the community’s queen after migrating there from South Carolina. It’s a beautifully rendered depiction of a lost world, one that gains even more power as Nikki comes to terms with the struggles her ancestors faced and the truth about her family’s recent discord. Readers will be deeply satisfied. Agent: Stephanie Cabot, Susanna Lea Assoc.
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