What’s better than a hot cup of coffee over stimulating conversation with authors and experts?
Throw in some delicious apple-berry muffins (made by our moderators) and you’ve got a recipe for success!
Library patrons met in small groups on Saturday, March 1 st to talk with Vanessa Miller, author of this month’s NC Reads book selection, The American Queen. We were joined by the founder of Wilmington’s Black History Tour, Cedric Harrison.
Our moderators, Stephanie and Regina, got the sessions going with a few thoughtful questions
and soon conversation flowed naturally.
The American Queen is a historical fiction about a group of formerly enslaved people who
traveled by foot from the plantations of Mississippi to the mountains of North Carolina shortly
after Emancipation. Once there, they were able to purchase land from the widow of a plantation owner and establish an independent community called “The Happy Land” that thrived for many years.
Vanessa spoke about her extensive research for the book and shared lessons she learned
about the injustices of that time – some of which we all agreed seems alarmingly relevant today.
She also talked about the challenges of blending real historical figures with imagined characters when writing historical fiction.  “Non-fiction tells you what happened. Historical fiction tells you how it felt,” she explained.
Cedric shared some interesting personal insights on the characters in the book. His comparison of the protagonist, Robert Montgomery, to modern-day entertainer Drake, shed light on the difficulties some Blacks experience when trying to appease both Black and White populations.  Cedric also shared his knowledge of Wilmington’s Black community before and after the 1898 coup. Rather than dwelling on the horrors of that event, he focused on the achievements prior to the massacre. He encouraged all of us to build bridges between our communities going forward, for the betterment of society as a whole.
The story of Happy Land is a remarkable tale of courage and perseverance in the face of
racism. It’s hard to believe this true piece of NC history remained obscure for so long, but
thankfully Vanessa’s inspiring book, and this terrific North Carolina Humanities program, brought it to life in a way that made us all understand. As one insightful participant said:
“I never understood generational trauma until now. This book made me feel it.”

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The American Queen is available through the Brunswick County Library system.
To find out more about Wilmington’s Black History tour, go to: www.wilmingtoncolor.com