"Happy Land": How Land Ownership Impacts Mental Health

"If there is one thing our ancestors gave us, it is hope," said Perkins-Valdez. "If only we can imagine it, we can do it."

Source: Norman E. Jones/ Used with permission

One of the most anticipated books of the year, Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, is a transporting multigenerational novel that is inspired by the true story of a kingdom in the mountains of North Carolina established by formerly enslaved Black Americans. Determined to forge their own path to a brighter future for themselves and future generations, the kingdom’s founders were forward-thinking, innovative, and hard-working.

Land ownership is at the forefront of Happy Land’s plot, and for good reason. While the kingdom’s leaders were among the first African Americans to assume land ownership in the United States, racial injustice in land ownership has unfortunately persisted through the generations. While studies suggest that land ownership can offer a sense of security that improves health, including mental health, the mental health impacts of unjustly losing your land or being excluded from land ownership are undeniable (Gupta, Mehra, & Behmani, 2022; Rose, Arikat, Gusoff, 2023).

Below, Perkins-Valdez shares with me her perspective on land ownership, mental health, family history trauma, estrangement, and more.

Heather Rose Artushin: Happy Land uncovers the true story of the Kingdom of the Happy Land in Henderson County, North Carolina, in the late 1800s. What about history most inspires your creative work? What was the most surprising thing you discovered in your research for this novel? How did the process of writing Happy Land impact you, personally?

Dolen Perkins-Valdez (DPV): I learned many years ago that I love being in the archive and unearthing stories. I consider myself both community historian and storyteller, and my work is infused by both passions. While researching this novel, I was surprised by how long Sadie Smathers Patton's 1957 pamphlet had occupied a central space as an uncontested historical account of the kingdom. I think our job as historians is to be somewhat skeptical of official historical accounts, especially those published many decades ago. My hope is that this book, and the unearthed archival material that goes along with it, will inspire future work around this and other local legends.

HRA: Limited studies suggest that land ownership can offer a sense of security that improves health—including mental health. In Happy Land, you explore the importance of land ownership through the lens of one family’s story through the generations. From your perspective, and based on the extensive historical research you did for this novel, what is the connection between land ownership and mental health, particularly in the Black community, where land is often stolen from families to this day?

DPV: Writing this novel gave me a deeper appreciation for why connecting to the land, to nature, to the outdoors is so fundamental to who we are. After the Great Migration, many African Americans moved to cities and lost our connection to rural life. The characters in this book reminded me to go outside and appreciate nature more. Like my character Nikki, I'm an amateur birdwatcher, and every time I go for a walk, my mind feels better. Birdwatching is best done in the morning, and it's an excellent way to clear the mind for the day. We know there were vast economic implications to Black land loss over the 20th century. The loss of generational wealth is the most devastating outcome of that loss. In the book, I wanted to explore even more ramifications, such as community, family gathering spaces, sense of self, and more. Mental health is connected to all of this, and I hope the book will provide insight into what it will take for us to continue to heal.

HRA: Happy Land offers an inspiring account of how one group of people forged their own path and imagined a future for themselves and their descendants with limitless possibilities, even in the face of insurmountable oppression. How do you hope Happy Land speaks to readers who find themselves in a place where every door and window of opportunity seems closed? How might this book lend them courage to cast a new vision for their lives?

"Happy Land" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez releases April 8, 2025.

Source: Penguin Random House

DPV: Isn't it remarkable what the kingdom folk did? They found a way to establish a refuge where they could be safe from terrorism and establish the bonds of community. I included a contemporary storyline because I wanted to draw a direct connection to how their actions over a hundred years ago are still relevant today. In one line, a friend urges Nikki, "Just imagine."

HRA: In the book, the modern-day protagonist, Nikki, goes in search of her family’s history. The character profoundly speaks to the trauma that must be endured in poring through records related to slavery and racial injustice to connect the dots in her lineage. What do you believe are the benefits of connecting with the stories of one’s family history? Is it worth the trauma that can occur in the search, and, if so, how can readers work through the difficult feelings it might bring up along the way? How does Nikki navigate this in Happy Land?

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DPV: Yes, she does! I'm so glad you caught that. As someone who spends a lot of time in the archives, I know firsthand the kind of pain one can find. Is it worth it? Absolutely. As we see with Nikki's story, the alternative is far worse. Not knowing is, perhaps, even more damaging. The same can be true of reading novels about painful moments in history. They can be difficult to read sometimes, but we come out on the other side more powerful, more informed. We can also find resilience and fortitude. If we focus on those bright spots in the record, that helps us deal with the darker side.

HRA: According to research, estrangement is often a mechanism within multigenerational family systems to handle tension as the family adapts to stressors over time. One study showed that values dissimilarities are a strong predictor of estrangement in the relationship between mothers and their adult children. How does this play out in Nikki’s family, and what steps does Nikki take to disrupt this cycle and heal the broken bonds between family members?

DPV: Estrangement is a phenomenon I've always been curious about because I've seen it happen, and it saddens me. Thank you for clarifying it in such an expert way. I struggled to adequately capture it in this book because I recognize the complexity. In the book, it takes a third person to heal the estrangement because the two primary people—Lorelle and Mother Rita—are too calcified in their resentment to even speak to each other. It's a heavy burden for a daughter/granddaughter, but, nonetheless, it's part of Nikki's path. The answer to this question may go back to your earlier question about land loss because I do believe the bonds of family were broken when we lost our connection to the land.

HRA: What do you hope readers take away from spending time with Happy Land?

DPV: Go visit Appalachia! Walk the Palmetto Trail. Visit a national park. Plan a family outing outdoors. Learn the names of birds with the children in your life. And, finally, if you live in a state that hasn't passed the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (UPHPA), contact your local representative.