The Moor's Account
Morocco

The Moor's Account

by Laila Lalami

Identity & Belonging Historical Fiction 2014

Summary

The Moor’s Account is a historical novel that reimagines the story of Mustafa al-Zamori, a Moroccan man enslaved by Spanish conquistadors who became one of the first Africans to explore the Americas. In 1527, Mustafa joins an expedition led by Pánfilo de Narváez, which sets out to claim territory in what is now Florida for the Spanish Crown. When the expedition collapses under the pressures of disease, starvation, and conflict with Indigenous communities, Mustafa becomes one of only four survivors.

As he travels across unfamiliar lands, his role gradually changes from enslaved servant to healer, interpreter, and storyteller. Through his imagined memoir, Lalami challenges the traditional historical narratives that privilege European voices while overlooking the experiences of those who were enslaved or marginalized. The novel explores identity, cultural encounters, survival, and the power of storytelling to reclaim histories that might otherwise be forgotten.

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Country
Morocco
Africa
About the author
Laila Lalami
Laila Lalami

Laila Lalami is a Moroccan American novelist, essayist, and professor known for exploring migration, identity, colonialism, and the complexities of belonging across cultures. Born in Rabat, Morocco, in 1968, she later moved to the United States to pursue graduate studies and became a prominent voice in contemporary literature. Her fiction often examines the experiences of immigrants and marginalized communities, challenging conventional historical narratives and questioning how power shapes whose stories are remembered. Her notable works include Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits (2005), a collection of interconnected stories about Moroccans attempting to migrate to Europe, and The Moor’s Account (2014), a reimagining of a sixteenth-century Spanish expedition through the perspective of a Moroccan enslaved man. The latter was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Through nuanced characters and historically informed storytelling, Lalami explores displacement, cultural identity, freedom, and the enduring consequences of colonialism.

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Details
Published
2014
Author
Laila Lalami