Sep 14, 2014 the moors account by laila lalami pantheon, 321 pp. The moors account, by laila lalami the new york times. Laila lalami brings to life his imagined account in this beautiful piece of historical fiction. Castaways, but hers is certainly the most extensive telling of the tale from the moors point of view. A novel about the power of stories as told by the first black explorer of america mustafa alzamori.
The moors account by laila lalami pantheon, 321 pp. Of the hundreds of men who arrived in southern florida to find wealth and fame only four survived. The moors account in the moors account, laila lalami tells the story of a 16th century expedition in the new world from a slaves perspective. Aug 27, 2015 i soon forgot that this is not an original account and could hear an authenticity in mustafa s voice. In her novel, the moors account, laila lalami sets out to resurrect estebanico, giving him a voice to tell the story from his perspective and narrate the details of the illfated expedition. Laila lalami was born in rabat and educated in morocco, great britain, and the united states. Pulitzer prize finalistnominated for the man booker prizewinner of the american book awarda new york times notable booka wall street journal top 10 book of the yearan npr great read of 2014a kirkus best fiction book of the year in these pages, laila lalami brings us the imagined memoirs of the first black explorer of america. Laila lalamies novel uses a first person narrator to tell the story of the spanish expedition of narvaez. Laila lalami recounts the voyage and its brutal aftermath in her new novel, the moors account, from the perspective of estebanico. Buy the moor s account by laila lalami online at alibris. Aug 18, 2015 laila lalamis mesmerizing the moors account presents us a historical fiction that feels something like a plural totality.
Laila lalami, author of the moor s account a moroccan slave named estebanico was one of only four men to survive a 1528 expedition to america from spain. Laila lalami, author of the moors account a moroccan slave named estebanico was one of only four men to survive a 1528 expedition to america from. Gary shteyngart laila lalamis radiant, arrestingly vivid prose instantly draws us into the world of the first black slave in the new world whose name we knowestebanico. Her second book is titled the moors account and it is an acclaimed novel, winning the author the american book award as well as a hurstonwright legacy award, and an arabamerican book award. The moors account brilliantly captures estebanicos voice and vision, giving us an alternate narrative for this famed expedition. Secret son, which was on the orange prize longlist. Nothing more is known about the first black explorer of america.
Lalami s second novel after secret son is historical fiction of the firstorder, a gripping tale of spanish exploration in the new world set in the years 1527 to 1536, as told by a muslim slave. The narvaez expedition is not familiar to me and anything i encounter about it after this will have the moors account as a litmus paper. The moors account, lalamis third book, was published by pantheon books in september 2014. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. The moors account is more than a good story, its a great one. A novel of extraordinary scope, ambition and originality, laila lalami has given voice to a man silenced for five centuries, a voice both convincing and compelling. Laila lalamie s novel uses a first person narrator to tell the story of the spanish expedition of narvaez. The moors account by laila lalami ebook urban books. The imagined memoir mustafa ibn muhammad, laila lalamis moors account gives voice to mustafa, the first slave in the new world and the fourth survivor of the navarez expedition. Good thing for those left in the shadows of the official record, and for.
The novel is told from the perspective of estevanico, a moroccan slave who is documented as part of the illfated narvaez expedition of 1527 and was one of four survivors to reach mexico city in 1536. The moors account pulitzer prize finalistnominated for the man booker prizewinner of the american book award a new york times notable booka wall street journal top 10 book of the yearan npr great read of 2014a kirkus best fiction book of the year in these pages, laila lalami brings us the imagined memoirs of the first black explorer of america. The hero of laila lalamis third book has two names. Nov 01, 2018 imagine all of this, and youll have an inkling of the travails undergone by estebanico, narrator of laila lalamis new novel, the moors account. The moors account is a pageturner filled with adventure, observation, and lovely prose. Aug 20, 2015 the moors account is more than a good story, its a great one.
She is the author of the novels hope and other dangerous pursuits, which was a finalist for the oregon book award. One of the easiest ways to rewrite history is to resort to fiction. The moor s account pulitzer prize finalistnominated for the man booker prizewinner of the american book award a new york times notable booka wall street journal top 10 book of the yearan npr great read of 2014a kirkus best fiction book of the year in these pages, laila lalami brings us the imagined memoirs of the first black explorer of america. Lalamis second novel after secret son is historical fiction of the firstorder, a gripping tale of spanish exploration in the new world set in the years 1527 to 1536, as told by a muslim slave. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Tremendous and powerful, the moors account is one of the finest historical novels ive encountered in a while. In laila lalamis deft hands, estebanicos memoir illuminates the ways in which stories can transmigrate into history, even as storytelling can offer a chance at redemption and survival.
The goal was to conquer land, claim it for spain, subdue the indigenous population, and find gold. The slave of a spanish conquistador, estebanico sails for the americas with his master, dorantes, as part of a dangerladen expedition to florida. In this stunning work of historical fiction, laila lalami brings us the imagined memoirs of the first black explorer of america, a moroccan slave whose testimony was. Buy the moors account by laila lalami online at alibris. The moors account is a work of creativity and compassion, one which demonstrates the full might of lalami s talent as a writer. The moors account by laila lalami book of the month. She the author of four novels, including the moors account, which won the american book award, the arabamerican book award, and the hurstonwright legacy award and was a finalist for the pulitzer prize. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Her most recent work, the other americans, was a finalist for the national book award. Telling the tale of his life in the new world, mustafa carefully traces and details extreme travail the four of them faced in the new world. Laila lalami author of the other americans, the moors. In the moors account, laila lalami tells the story of a 16th century expedition in the new world from a slaves perspective.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the moors account. In this stunning work of historical fiction, laila lalami brings us the imagined memoirs of the first black explorer of america, a moroccan slave whose testimony was left out of the official record. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that. His questionable legacy sets the stage for leila lalamis stunning new novel, the moors account.
Laila lalami is the author of the short story collection hope and other dangerous pursuits, which was a finalist for the oregon book award, and the novel secret. Lalamis device of switching between estebanicos previous life in morocco and the debacle in florida is. The narvaez expedition is not familiar to me and anything i encounter about it after this will have the moor s account as a litmus paper. Buy a cheap copy of the moors account book by laila lalami. Laila lalami audio books, best sellers, author bio. In estebanicos telling, the journey across the new world makes servants of conquerors and transforms outcasts into dignitaries. A memoir of language and general editor of the norton anthology of latino literature lalami has created an unforgettable drama of wonder out of the gaps and silences in the master narratives of colonial conquests. Laila lalami reads from the moors account skylight books. Praise for the moors account a beautiful, rousing tale that would be difficult to believe if it were not actually true. Sep 09, 2014 pulitzer prize finalistnominated for the man booker prizewinner of the american book awarda new york times notable booka wall street journal top 10 book of the yearan npr great read of 2014a kirkus best fiction book of the year in these pages, laila lalami brings us the imagined memoirs of the first black explorer of america. In these pages, laila lalami brings us the imagined memoirs of the first black explorer of america.
In this stunning work of historical fiction, laila lalami brings us the imagined memoirs of the first. The moors account book by laila lalami thriftbooks. She the author of four novels, including the moors account, which won the american book award, the arabamerican book award, and the hurstonwright legacy award and was. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the moors account. From the pulitzer prize finalist and author of the moors account, here is a timely and powerful novel about the suspicious death of a moroccan immigrant at once a family saga, a murder mystery, and a love story, informed by the treacherous fault lines of american culture. Sep 07, 2014 laila lalami recounts the voyage and its brutal aftermath in her new novel, the moors account, from the perspective of estebanico, a moroccan slave of one of the explorers.
The moors account by laila lalami, paperback barnes. Laila lalamis mesmerizing the moors account presents us a historical fiction that feels something like a plural totality. Like criticism about columbus, the vibrant testimony of former slave mustafa alzamori underscores the notion that history often dismisses crucial voices, and in doing so, provides only a fraction of the truth. It was a pulitzer prize for fiction finalist in 2015. A novel about the power of stories as told by the first black explorer of america mustafa al. Laila lalami s mesmerizing the moors account presents us a historical fiction that feels something like a plural totality. The moors account illuminates the ways in which stories can transmigrate into history, and how storytelling can offer a chance for redemption, reinvention and survival. As elusive as gold, she tells us, is the promise of freedom for estebanico, who provides the very definition of. Lalamis novel was longlisted for the 2015 man booker. I soon forgot that this is not an original account and could hear an authenticity in mustafas voice. Buy the moors account by laila lalami from amazons fiction books store. The moors account is a work of creativity and compassion, one which demonstrates the full might of lalamis talent as a writer. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Imagine all of this, and youll have an inkling of the travails undergone by estebanico, narrator of laila lalamis new novel, the moors account.
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