My book club read The American Queen by Vanessa Miller this month. This historical novel is an interesting look at a little known chapter in our country’s history. I am looking forward to hearing my group’s thoughts. See mine below.
There is only one known queen who truly ruled a kingdom on American soil.
Transformative and breathtakingly honest, The American Queen is based on actual events that occurred between 1865 – 1889 and shares the unsung history of a Black woman who built a kingdom in Appalachia as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of life.
Over the twenty-four years she was enslaved on the Montgomery Plantation, Louella learned to feel one thing: 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 off the 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.
The American Queen weaves together themes of love, hate, hope, trust, and resilience in the face of great turmoil. With every turn of the page, you will be transported to a pivotal period in American history, where oppressed people become extraordinary heroes.
Vanessa Miller is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.
Vanessa lives in North Carolina with her husband and family. She graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication.
My Impressions:
The American Queen is an interesting look at a little known event set in the American South during the darkest days of slavery and the ensuing aftermath of the Civil War. Author Vanessa Miller discovered the story of Louella Montgomery and with painstaking research gives the reader her story filled with sorrow, anger, betrayal, and ultimately hope. The story begins at the end of the Civil War. Enslaved people have been given their freedom via the Emancipation Proclamation, yet their lives are unchanged. Even when the war ends, they are kept in servitude. Louella and her husband William lead a group of other former slaves to a new land that God has chosen for them. The story really is Abrahamic in its scope. God spoke to both William and Louella, and together they stepped out on faith. The story is a moving account of living faith in the face of extreme hostility, danger, and doubt. Miller does a good job of fleshing out the characters given the limited information available about them and the Happy Land (situated in the Appalachian mountains of North and South Carolina) where they settled. The novel is faithful to the time period, including language that hopefully would not make it into a contemporary work. Miller explains her writing choices, and I think that she does a good job of conveying the people and time without offense.
If you are a fan of historical fiction covering real people and little known events, then The American Queen would be a good choice. I think it will create a lot of conversation with my book club.
Recommended.
Great for Book Clubs.
Audience: adults.
(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Recent Comments