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The American Queen

Winner of the 2025 Audie Award

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The American Queen

By: Vanessa Miller
Narrated by: Angel Pean
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About this listen

A 2025 Audie Awards WINNER | A WOMAN EVOLVE BOOK CLUB PICK | A NORTH CAROLINA READS PICK | A Christy Award WINNER | A 2024 American Fiction Award WINNER | Best Historical Fiction of 2024 (She Reads) | FEATURED IN GMA, WASHINGTON POST, AND ESSENCE | There is only one known queen who truly ruled a kingdom on American soil. Meet the queen of Happy Land in this riveting novel from USA TODAY bestselling author Vanessa Miller.

"This powerful story must be told and retold." --GMA 15 New Books to Read (Good Morning America)

"A hidden gem in American history." --Publishers Weekly

"This marvel of a novel transported me." --Sadeqa Johnson, NYT bestselling author

"A story [about] . . . the indomitable spirit of a woman." --Lisa Wingate #1 NYT bestselling author

"Inspirational and unforgettable." --Kim Michele Richardson, NYT bestselling author

"A triumph." --Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author

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.

 African American Christian Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Royalty Women's Fiction Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

'Queen Louella, the American Queen, is a character so richly drawn, she writes the story of American history. Born into slavery, robbed of her mother and family, Louella has no reason to love or be loved. However, the superb Vanessa Miller has created a new world of possibility and the story takes flight. The impossible path to forgiveness is as arduous as the road to freedom is for the enslaved. When Louella decides it's her world, one that she will make her own in emancipation, the sky opens up and rains hope. This novel is a triumph.'
'Being a hero during the Civil War era took on lots of different forms. One woman, hero Louella, is the subject of award-winning author Vanessa Miller's latest historical novel . . . This powerful story must be told and retold.'
'Bestselling author Vanessa Miller has penned yet another moving and illuminating novel in THE AMERICAN QUEEN . . . With gentleness and empathy, Miller examines the complex relationship between faith and adversity.'
'Miller (THE LIGHT ON HALSEY STREET) captivates with a propulsive historical based on the true story of a group of formerly enslaved people who founded a utopian society in the Appalachian mountains in the 1860s . . . readers will be won over by Louella's gumption, optimism, and tenacity. Miller brings to enthralling life a hidden gem in American history.'
'Readers are mesmerized by the incredible blend of hope, heartbreak, and determination in Louella's journey. THE AMERICAN QUEEN is about more than survival--it's about redefining what freedom truly means.'
'Regal, self-possessed with inner strength and dignity--that's the portrayal of Luella Bobo Montgomery in Vanessa Miller's THE AMERICAN QUEEN. Miller crafts a stellar image of resilience, giving life to a little-known story of American royalty. There's something special, soul-stirring to read of a woman, a wife, a queen building a space with her husband and found family that makes a community's hope of freedom come true. Everyone should read THE AMERICAN QUEEN and be inspired.'
'Some books just feel inspired. You feel blessed for having read them. They feel like a gift. This is one of those books. The American Queen is definitely a story everyone should know, and a year from now, I have a feeling they will. Put it at the top of your bookstagram reading list.'
'THE AMERICAN QUEEN brings to light another hidden triumph in Black American history. Queen Louella is frankly a woman that everyone should know. Filled with bravery and cultural beauty, this marvel of a novel transported me while educating me on the sheer determination of an emancipated community to not only survive but to also thrive.'
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