The American Queen: a beautiful story told by Vanessa Miller, who is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. This is the story of Louella and William, two former slaves who led their friends and family to a place of peace after slavery ended. They found a place where everyone could be treated equally and they lived that dream out. Based on true events, this story will capture your heart and bring you joy. It will also remind you that trusting in the Lord, even when it’s hard, is always the best choice.

American Queen, oh my goodness it was such a powerful story of strength, willingness, and family! It was such a breath of fresh air to read a historical fictional book and it wasn’t completely depressing and to read my people in position and power. Of course there are bumps along the road but this was so beautifully written and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Good Morning America listed it as one of their top 15 books of the year to read and should have. It's a story everyone needs to know. I feel the same way. The struggles resonate with contemporary issues, making the story not just a journey into the past but a reflection of our present and a hopeful vision for the future.

"The American Queen" left an indelible mark on my literary soul. Vanessa Miller poured her entire soul into this book, and I could feel her effort in every word. The prose, dialogue, and setting were seamlessly written, evoking a range of emotions. I found myself savoring the richness of the language, which not only propelled the story forward but also added layers of depth to the characters and their experiences.

This novel delivered on the promise that with every turn of the page readers would be transported back in time. From the very first page, I was captivated by the vivid portrait of Louella's life. Her transformation from a woman consumed by hate and heartache to one fueled by hope was portrayed with nuance and authenticity. Each character is meticulously shaped, making them feel like real individuals with genuine triumphs and failures. Reverend William and his brother added another layer of complexity to the narrative.

The Kingdom of the Happy Land is a poignant reminder of the strength that comes from unity and the pursuit of a better world. For that reason, "The American Queen" is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeply moving and thought-provoking literary experience.

Absolutely phenomenal!! Vanessa did something different here than the other 3 books I’ve read by her and she did it well!! I was completely obsessed with this story and I loved it!

We meet Louella as a child living on the Montgomery Plantation, and soon see how she got the scares on her back, and as we follow this girl/woman throughout most of her life.

Struggles follow her wherever she is, and we walk with her, and love her and her strong personality. Her dreams, and how she convinces her husband and soon a band of people to go North from Mississippi, with a dream of a society that is independent and not beholding to others. Thus the Kingdom of the Happy Place!

I loved the author's notes, and how she came to write this book and the research that went into it. This is a fictional story based on truth, and we learn that there is a lot of real things that actually happened, and are updated on what happens to this society.

This is such a compelling page turner, and I'll be looking for more by this author!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

Easy 5 stars, I’m so grateful to have been able to review this one! It was absolutely amazing and I look forward to recommending it!

The American Queen was a beautiful, honest, and necessary historical fiction novel based on the amazing true story of Louella Montgomery and the Kingdom of the Happy Land. I love reading historical fiction that is rooted in lesser-known history and The American Queen was a great fit for that (the author's note was an excellent addition at the end too to delve further into what she discovered in her research and what is still unknown). Louella was steadfast in her belief that she and everyone who chose to live in the Kingdom of the Happy Land deserved the chance at a good life, at a life that was truly their own. The American Queen was a beautiful novel - definitely recommend. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

The American Queen, by Vanessa Miller, is based on the life of Luella Montgomery. A former slave in Mississippi, she married another slave, sired by the plantation master. After the War Between the States, they moved a group of people to a new land to build a community where everyone was to serve each other. Luella and her husband were named the King and Queen of Happy Land. Luella was strong, determined, and carried the weight of the community on her shoulders. It was her dream to build a place where emancipated people could do more than survive, a place where they could thrive.

Luella Montgomery is hardly known outside the area of Hendersonville, Greenville, and Spartanburg on the North and South Carolinas border. She is a woman we should know. This is a compelling story of dreams, sacrifice, and love for others. Luella is the only queen in American History. I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Inspired by the amazing true story of the Kingdom of the Happy Land, THE AMERICAN QUEEN details the story of Louella and William Montgomery and their people. Formerly enslaved and burning with a fire for justice, Louella convinces her reverend husband and a group of 50 people to leave Mississippi and move towards the freedom of the north. Along the road, their numbers swell to over 200 before they finally find their promised land on the North and South Carolina border. There, the couple and their followers work the land and in the surrounding towns until a flourishing kingdom is established with the motto "One for all and all for one".

Miller did a a wonderful job of bringing this story to light-- her commitment to accuracy and passion for the narrative of the Happy Land shines through her storytelling. THE AMERICAN QUEEN is a wonderful piece of Christian Historical Fiction that showcase's a little known, inspirational part of American history.

I didn't realize going in that this was a true story. What an incredible life these people lived in such a dark time in history. The story telling itself read a bit like a legend and of course because of the times and culture there was a lot of religious language intertwined. Not a style I normally gravitate towards but I'm happy to have read the Queen's story.

The American Queen
by Vanessa Miller
Pub Date: January 30, 2024
Thomas Nelson Fiction
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I requested this book and was eager to read it after being approved.
The American Queen located in the historical fiction category piqued my curiosity with an immediacy that required satisfaction. The story is about the life of Louella Montgomery, former slave turned Queen of Happy Land.
Excellent book! Highly recommend.

I loved this book! The American Queen follows a group of former slaves on a quest for freedom and a place they can call home. Louella Montgomery, alongside her husband William and fellow companions, emerges as a true visionary in leading her people to the Happy Land. The characters are deeply relatable, and the story evokes a range of emotions—from joy to sorrow—capturing the essence of their journey. Be prepared for an emotional ride; tissues might come in handy. Vanessa Miller's author notes add an intriguing layer, revealing the inspiration behind the narrative. Her skilful writing makes this a standout piece, and I highly recommend it. I eagerly anticipate diving into more of Miller's works in the future. Overall I gave this book a 4.25 star

This book...I loved it. Louella's story had me feeling so many emotions. It brought me to tears at times. Vanessa Miller did a wonderful job writing The American Queen and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book, or read another book by her.

The American Queen by Vanessa Miller is a beautifully written historical fiction story.
Woah, TAQ is a powerful yet emotional read and I found myself a couple of times with tears in my eyes.
It’s been a hit minute since a novel has done that. But wow this story sure did.

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Once I got into this book, I could not put it down. Given that the current climate is either rewriting or erasing African-American history, this is one of the most important works of our time. It is a story of perseverance and overcoming despite all the hardships that were presented to recently freed enslaved people. To know that people who were born enslaved built a community of over 500 families blew me away. The amount of research the author did (included in the Author’s Note) was phenomenal and reminded me why I loved Yellow Wife. I loved Louella so much. She is the epitome of “men are the head but women are the neck and we can turn the head any way we want”. While both she and William are the king and queen, she is the true leader of this kingdom. Learning that this was based on a true story has me wanting to visit South Carolina and pay respect to Happy Land.

If you liked Yellow Wife, Carolina Built, The Personal Librarian, or The Great Mrs Elias, I highly recommend you read this one and learn about Queen Louella. It is another hidden secret of African-American History that everyone should know and celebrate. You can’t call yourself an ally or advocate and not want to celebrate this beautiful fictionalized history of African Americans.

Inspired by true events, The American Queen, focused on Louella Bobo Montgomery and her journey with other recently emancipated slaves from a Mississippi plantation to Queendom in “Happy Land” near Henderson, North Carolina. The book tells the story about a group of people who started out as slaves who wanted to be free. Once they became free, they started a journey to find a place they could call their own. Louella Montgomery was a true visionary who helped lead her people along with her husband, William, and others to the Happy Land. My emotions were all over the place in this book! I enjoyed the read. #netgalley #theamericanqueen

I absolutely loved The American Queen. Vanessa Miller brings to like a piece of African American history that has been hidden for decades. I found the story of Queen Louella Montgomery an emotional read that was riveting, fascinating and inspiring. Ms. Miller takes read error a journey of grit, as William and Louella take a trek from Mississippi to the Kingdom of Happy Land. Fellow readers I experienced the emotions of sorrow and joy in this great book written by one of my favorite authors, Vanessa Miller. Kudos on a well written story.

The American Queen covers a small segment of the Reconstruction period immediately following the Civil War that I didn't know existed. A group of recently emancipated enslaved people left Mississippi in search of a new and safe home. They created Happy Land, a site that straddled North and South Carolina. This is the incredible fictionalized story of their founder and queen, Louella Montgomery. I had never heard about this part of American history so this story did make me curious to dig deeper into Happy Land. While the underlying story of Louella Montgomery and others who lived or were connected to Happy Land is extraordinary, the depiction of the characters in the book felt a bit flat for me. Although this isn't a YA book, there was something in the writing style that seemed to overly simplify this decades-long story and the emotions and perspectives of the characters. Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the e-ARC.

The American Queen by Vanessa Miller, I did not think a book could pissed me off one minute, bring tears to my eyes the next, piss me off again and finally let me cry and grieve for all that was lost, destroyed, tricked, beaten and how they survived moving from a slave planation thru North and South Carolina, with little food and surrounded by hateful people to finally their “Happy Place” and for Louella and her husband to become King and Queen to a place where African Americans were treated like humans. I admire Vanessa Miller's for the research she did on this book. I understand that the political feeling of the day is to hide or lie about the truth, but it’s authors like Vanessa Miller that will never let it go and it’s booksellers like me who will not allow anyone to hide my black history. In conclusion, the character, Louella was heroic, with a determined Spirit, and fearless, just like Ms. Miller. There are not enough words to describe going from hated to a joyful and God loving spirit, but Ms. Miller did just that.

Once I got into this book, I could not put it down. Given that the current climate is either rewriting or erasing African American history, this is one of the most important works of our time. It is a story of perseverance and overcoming in spite of all the hardships that were presented to recently freed enslaved people. To know that people that were born enslaved built a community of over 500 families blew me a way. The amount of research the author did (included in the Author’s Note) was phenomenal and reminded me why I loved Yellow Wife. I loved Louella so much. She is the epitome of “men are the head but women are the neck and we can turn the head any way we want”. While both her and William are the king and queen, she is really the true leader of this kingdom. Learning that this was based on a true story has me wanting to visit South Carolina and pay respect to Happy Land.

If you liked Yellow Wife, Carolina Built, The Personal Librarian or The Great Mrs Elias, I highly recommend you read this one and learn about Queen Louella. It is another hidden secret of African American History that everyone should know and celebrate. You can’t call yourself an ally or advocate and not want to celebrate this beautiful fictionalized history of African Americans.

SN: this book does not include the graphic violence of Yellow Wife