The Moor's account : a novel

Inspired by a true story, tells how Moroccan slave Estebanico barely survives his expedition to become the New World's first explorer of African descent, dealing with storms, disease, & hostile natives.“Laila Lalami has fashioned an absorbing story of one of the first encounters between Spanish conquistadores & Native Americans, a frightening, brutal, & much-falsified history that here, in her brilliantly imagined fiction, is rewritten to give us something that feels very like the truth.” - Salman Rushdie In 1527, the conquistador Pánfilo de Narváez sailed from the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda with a crew of six hundred men & nearly a hundred horses. His goal was to claim what is now the Gulf Coast of the United States for the Spanish crown and, in the process, become as wealthy & famous as Hernán Cortés. But from the moment the Narváez expedition landed in Florida, it faced peril—navigational errors, disease, starvation, as well as resistance from indigenous tribes.Within a year there were only four survivors: the expedition’s treasurer, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca; a Spanish nobleman named Alonso del Castillo Maldonado; a young explorer named Andrés Dorantes de Carranza; & Dorantes’s Moroccan slave, Mustafa al-Zamori, whom the three Spaniards called Estebanico. These four survivors would go on to make a journey across America that would transform them from proud conquistadores to humble servants, from fearful outcasts to faith healers.The Moor’s Account illuminates the ways in which stories can transmigrate into history, & how storytelling can offer a chance for redemption, reinvention & survival. °°° Laila Lalami was born & raised in Morocco. She is the author of the short story collection Hope & Other Dangerous Pursuits, which was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award, & the novel Secret Son, which was on the Orange Prize longlist. www.lailalalami.com **Longlisted for the 2015 Man Booker Prize** **Nominated for the 2016 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award** A Pulitzer Prize Finalist A New York Times Notable Book A Wall Street Journal Top 10 Book of the Year An NPR Great Read of 2014 A Kirkus Best Fiction Book of the Year 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. In 1527, the conquistador P?nfilo de Narv?ez sailed from the port of Sanl?car de Barrameda with a crew of six hundred men and nearly a hundred horses. His goal was to claim what is now the Gulf Coast of the United States for the Spanish crown and, in the process, become as wealthy and famous as Hern?n Cort?s. But from the moment the Narv?ez expedition landed in Florida, it faced peril--navigational errors, disease, starvation, as well as resistance from indigenous tribes. Within a year there were only four survivors: the expedition's treasurer,?lvar N??ez Cabeza de Vaca; a Spanish nobleman named Alonso del Castillo Maldonado; a young explorer named Andr?s Dorantes de Carranza; and Dorantes's Moroccan slave, Mustafa al-Zamori, whom the three Spaniards called Estebanico. These four survivors would go on to make a journey across America that would transform them from proud conquis-tadores to humble servants, from fearful outcasts to faith healers. The Moor's Account brilliantly captures Estebanico's voice and vision, giving us an alternate narrative for this famed expedition. As the dramatic chronicle unfolds, we come to understand that, contrary to popular belief, black men played a significant part in New World exploration and Native American men and women were not merely silent witnesses to it. In Laila Lalami's deft hands, Estebanico's memoir illuminates the ways in which stories can transmigrate into history, even as storytelling can offer a chance for redemption and survival. From the Hardcover edition 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. In 1527, the conquistador Pnfilo de Narvez sailed from the port of Sanlcar de Barrameda with a crew of six hundred men and nearly a hundred horses. His goal was to claim what is now the Gulf Coast of the United States for the Spanish crown and, in the process, become as wealthy and famous as Hernn Corts. But from the moment the Narvez expedition landed in Florida, it faced peril--navigational errors, disease, starvation, as well as resistance from indigenous tribes. Within a year there were only four survivors: the expedition's treasurer, lvar Nez Cabeza de Vaca; a Spanish nobleman named Alonso del Castillo Maldonado; a young explorer named Andrs Dorantes de Carranza; and Dorantes's Moroccan slave, Mustafa al-Zamori, whom the three Spaniards called Estebanico. These four survivors would go on to make a journey across America that would transform them from proud conquis-tadores to humble servants, from fearful outcasts to faith healers. The Moor's Account brilliantly captures Estebanico's voice and vision, giving us an alternate narrative for this famed expedition. As the dramatic chronicle unfolds, we come to understand that, contrary to popular belief, black men played a significant part in New World exploration and Native American men and women were not merely silent witnesses to it. In Laila Lalami's deft hands, Estebanico's memoir illuminates the ways in which stories can transmigrate into history, even as storytelling can offer a chance for redemption and survival. From the Hardcover edition Brings Us The Imagined Memoirs Of The First Black Explorer Of America--a Moroccan Slave Whose Testimony Was Left Out Of The Official Record. In 1527, The Conquistador Pánfilo De Narváez Sailed From The Port Of Sanlúcar De Barrameda With A Crew Of Six Hundred Men And Nearly A Hundred Horses. His Goal Was To Claim What Is Now The Gulf Coast Of The United States For The Spanish Crown And, In The Process, Become As Wealthy And Famous As Hernán Cortés. But From The Moment The Narváez Expedition Landed In Florida, It Faced Peril--navigational Errors, Disease, Starvation, As Well As Resistance From Indigenous Tribes. Within A Year There Were Only Four Survivors: The Expedition's Treasurer, Álvar Núñez Cabeza De Vaca; A Spanish Nobleman Named Alonso Del Castillo Maldonado; A Young Explorer Named Andrés Dorantes De Carranza; And Dorantes's Moroccan Slave, Mustafa Al-zamori, Whom The Three Spaniards Called Estebanico. These Four Survivors Would Go On To Make A Journey Across America That Would Transform Them From Proud Conquis-tadores To Humble Servants, From Fearful Outcasts To Faith Healers. Laila Lalami. Includes Bibliographical References. " ... Brings us the imagined memoirs of the first black explorer of America--a Moroccan slave whose testimony was left out of the official record. In 1527, the conquistador Pánfilo de Narváez sailed from the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda with a crew of six hundred men and nearly a hundred horses. His goal was to claim what is now the Gulf Coast of the United States for the Spanish crown and, in the process, become as wealthy and famous as Hernán Cortés. But from the moment the Narváez expedition landed in Florida, it faced peril--navigational errors, disease, starvation, as well as resistance from indigenous tribes. Within a year there were only four survivors: the expedition's treasurer, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca; a Spanish nobleman named Alonso del Castillo Maldonado; a young explorer named Andrés Dorantes de Carranza; and Dorantes's Moroccan slave, Mustafa al-Zamori, whom the three Spaniards called Estebanico. These four survivors would go on to make a journey across America that would transform them from proud conquistadores to humble servants, from fearful outcasts to faith healers"--Publisher description From the widely praised author of Secret Son and Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits --a stunning piece of historical fiction: the imagined memoirs of the New World's first explorer of African descent, a Moroccan slave known as Estebanico. In 1527, P?nfilo de Narv?ez sailed from Spain with a crew of six hundred men, intending to claim for the Spanish crown what is now the Gulf Coast of the United States. But from the moment the expedition reached Florida, it met with ceaseless bad luck--storms, disease, starvation, hostile natives--and within a year there were only four survivors, including the young explorer Andr?s Dorantes and his slave, Estebanico. After six years of enslavement by Native Americans, the four men escaped and wandered through what is now Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Moor's Account brilliantly captures Estebanico's voice and vision, giving us an alternate narrative for this famed expedition.... PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • The imagined memoirs of the first black explorer of America—this "stunning [book] sheds light on all of the possible the New World exploration stories that didn’t make history” ( Huffington Post ). In these pages, Laila Lalami brings us the invented memoirs Mustafa al-Zamori, called Estebanico. The slave of a Spanish conquistador, Estebanico sails for the Americas with his master, Dorantes, as part of a danger-laden expedition to Florida. Within a year, Estebanico is one of only four crew members to survive. As he journeys across America with his Spanish companions, the Old World roles of slave and master fall away, and Estebanico remakes himself as an equal, a healer, and a remarkable storyteller. His tale illuminates the ways in which our narratives can transmigrate into history—and how storytelling can offer a chance at redemption and survival. Dette er de fiktive memoarene til Amerikas første svarte oppdager - den marokkanske slaven Estebanico. I 1527 seilte conquistadoren Pánfilo de Narváez av sted med et mannskap på seks hundre menn og nesten hundre hester. Hans mål var å kreve Gulfkysten for den spanske kronen og bli rik og berømt. Men navigasjonsfeil, sykdom, sult og motstand fra innfødte stammene gjorde det vanskelig. Innen et år var det bare fire overlevende, deriblant Estebanico. De fire foretok en reise på tvers av Amerika som forandret dem fullstendig. Estebanicos stemme og visjon gir oss en alternativ fortelling for den berømte ekspedisjonen. Vi forstår at svarte menn spilte en betydelig rolle i Den nye verden, og at indianerne ikke bare var tause vitner, i motsetning til det mange tror