Rare Earth
Rare Earth: A moving new novel and a multifaceted family work explore the meanings of our mountain lands
Happy Land
By Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Too little is known about the Kingdom of the Happy Land, a colony in Henderson County founded by former slaves that existed as a uniquely utopian endeavor for decades after the Civil War. Now, novelist Dolen Perkins-Valdez imagines—from a firm foundation of new research—how the Happy Land came to be, and how the kingdom’s Queen Luella and her descendants struggled to secure their history, family, culture, and land. Happy Land weaves seamlessly between the postbellum era and a contemporary storyline, revealing a fascinating chapter of local Black history that carries compelling lessons for today.
Land of Blue Shadows: Mountain Life in Verse & View
By George Ellison, Elizabeth Ellison & Quintin Ellison
The Ellison family seemingly came into this world to record the wonders of the Great Smoky Mountains from their home in Swain County, each with their own special talent. Land of Blue Shadows features a posthumous compendium of the naturalist and writer George Ellison’s final poems, poignantly accompanied with paintings from his artist wife, Elizabeth, and photographs from his journalist daughter, Quintin.
Together, their works invite the reader and viewer to see and feel the region with reverence and awe while gaining perspectives on the many and varied folks who call the mountains home.