Historical fiction

The American Queen

by Vanessa Miller

At the end of the Civil War, newly freed Louella Montgomery and her husband William leave the plantation where enslavement has shaped their first decades. They lead other families through the dangerous postwar South toward land in the Appalachian foothills, determined to build a self-governing refuge. Their settlement becomes the Kingdom of the Happy Land, where Louella's leadership earns her the title of queen while violence and political change threaten what the community has created. Inspiring and based on real events, this historical novel suits readers who seek Black Reconstruction history, community-building, resilient women, faith, and stories about freedom made tangible through land, work, education, and mutual protection.