Book Summary: In 1869 a kingdom rose in the South. And Louella was its queen. Over the twenty-four years she’s been enslaved on the Montgomery Plantation, Louella learned to feel one hate. Hate for the man who sold her mother. Hate for the overseer who left her daddy to hang from a noose. Hate so powerful there’s no room in her heart for love, not even for the honorable Reverend William, whom she likes and respects enough to marry. But when William finally listens to Louella’s pleas and leads the formerly enslaved people out of their plantation, Louella begins to replace her hate with hope. Hope that they will find a place where they can live free from fear. Hope that despite her many unanswered prayers, she can learn to trust for new miracles. Soon, William and Louella become the appointed king and queen of their self-proclaimed Kingdom of the Happy Land. And though they are still surrounded by opposition, they continue to share a message of joy and goodness—and fight for the freedom and dignity of all. Transformative and breathtakingly honest, The American Queen shares the unsung true history of a kingdom built as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of life.
This book is based on the incredibly true story of former slaves coming together after the Civil War to create a community in North and South Carolina. This book follows the life of Louella Montgomery, a former slave desperate to leave the Montgomery plantation. In the area, there are many former slaves working as sharecroppers for their former slave owners. However, when the former owners cheated them out of their wages and land, a group of former slaves banded together and traveled to their new home in the Carolinas. Through a lot of hard work and with the assistance of a friendly face, the group was able to purchase acres of land for themselves. They pooled their resources and called their community “The Kingdom of the Happy Land” with the motto “All for one, and one for all”. Under the leadership of Louella and William (her husband), the group thrives and they later name William and Louella Montgomery King and Queen of Happy Land.
I loved this book. It is well researched, as referenced in the Author’s Note, and full of so much interesting information regarding this period in our history. The book delivers on the promise that with every turn of the page, readers would be transported back in time. Louella, the main character, shows growth as time progresses, moving from a life a powerless young woman consumed by hate to that of a matriarch filled with hope for her people. It is a story of perseverance, despite the hardships that were presented to former slaves. This is excellent historical fiction and I highly recommended it.
Thanks to NetGalley, Vanessa Miller, and Thomas Nelson for providing a complimentary copy of this book in hopes that I will leave my unbiased review. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and the above review is simply my opinion of the book.
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2