Great African Reads discussion

This thread is for the May/June 2025 read of The Moor's Account, by Laila Lalami.
These months has two reads - So I've set up threads for both of them, but not a separate spoiler/non-spoiler thread - just the one :)
Feel free to discuss book editions, availability, expectations, impressions and thoughts!

I have "The Moor's Account" in my (very long) to-read list. This novel was nominated for Booker (in the UK) and Pulitzer (in the US) prizes. A couple of my GR friends read it and rated four stars. Lalami is from Morocco- I read that she is now an English prof in California. Her book "The Other Americans" was a finalist for the National Book Award (US) in fiction and also has high ratings on Goodreads.
The county library here has several copies available so I will try to fit it in but probably will be a week or two before I can start it.

I have also been wanting to read this, so am waiting on a library copy. I read a nonfiction book, Crossing the continent: 1527-1540 by Robert Goodwin about Estevanico the Moor/Mustafa Azemmouri a few years ago, so I'm looking forward to this novel.

My library hold has finally come in. I'm looking forward to reading this one. I just finished The Dream Hotel, and after attending an author event, I'm quite intrigued by Laila Lalami and her body of work

Lalami was nominated for Pulitzer prize in fiction for this novel and was on this year's Pulitzer jury (which awarded the prize to "James" by Percival Everett).

I'm happy to see some others will be reading along!

Ardene, how interesting the nonfiction you've read on who I guess is a main character in this one? I'm also waiting for my library hold. I hope to have it by next week.

Augusta, did you start?? If so, curious how you are liking it so far? And I guess it's off-topic but I'd love to know if you liked The Dream Hotel!

George, yes, impressive accolades for Lalami, including her current longlist nomination for The Women's Prize for her latest, The Dream Hotel. So this is timely to be reading some older work by Lalami.

I expect to be starting it in about a week.

My library hold came in today, and I've peeked at the first few pages. I'll most likely get stuck in to reading this weekend, as my house and yard need attention after work this week.

@Jen R. yes, I'm about 40% in. I like the way the chapters alternate and give us a glimpse into Mustafa's backstory. I think a straightforward recounting of the expedition would have lost my interest quite quickly. Overall, I'm surprised by how I've remained invested.

I thought the Dream Hotel was enjoyable enough. When I read speculative fiction, I tend to lean more into high fantasy, so Lalami's approach in The Dream Hotel was an interesting experience, though her commentary on the carceral state was spot on and well-timed. I'm generally impressed by her range as a writer. The two books are remarkably different!

I started yesterday, just the first chapter so far. I was able to visit Morocco briefly about 15 years ago so it helps me picture where Estevanico came from. I did a bit of reading about the (Narvaez) expedition in Wikipedia today and there's a Wikipedia entry on "Estevanico" which is good background. It says he was "the first person of African descent to explore North America".
I've only read one previous book by a Moroccan writer, Horses of God by Binebine which was set in modern times. It was translated from Arabic, unlike this book which was written in English.

Ardene wrote: "I have also been wanting to read this, so am waiting on a library copy. I read a nonfiction book, Crossing the continent: 1527-1540 by Robert Goodwin about Estevanico the Moor/Mustafa Azemmouri a f..."

Did you like Goodwin's book? Very few on Goodreads have read and rated it, less than 200. Just 54% of those rated it more than 3 stars, which is not very high approval.

I got my library loan early on Saturday- yay- and I'm now in chapter 7 (~30% in). Pretty excited by this one so far, enjoying so much- the alternating style of the chapters that Augusta described, the voice of the narrator, the nice pace, the vivid worlds... And personally I'm finding it, though brutal at times, also humorous. Is anyone else reading an underhanded mockery of the colonizers? Something about Mustafa's keen but gentle voice making these observations of the manner and habits and such...

Where are others at in the book and in your experience of it?

I'm now about 25%. I'm reading three other novels so I don't go very quickly.
I agree Jen, there is definitely mockery of the Spanish colonizers/explorers and I think there is more of that to come.

I finished this last night. Just loved it. I love the elements brought together here by Lalami- history, cross-cultural themes, propulsive adventure story, great writing and characters, vivid worlds, suspense... I would love to experience more of her work, especially curious how her style translates in other genres.

How are others coming along in The Moor's Account?

By the way, the author mentions the Goodwin book that Ardene mentioned earlier here as an important source for her in her acknowledgments :)

Now at 40% and liking it..

I'm still in Florida, where they have been taken in by a native community, but since they are so inept have been tasked with working with the women in the fields. I'm dedicating part of this afternoon to further reading.

George P (message 10) wrote Did you like Goodwin's book? about Crossing the continent. Yes, I did. I found it fascinating. Some of the writing was dry, and I was disappointed that we know so little of what happend to Esteban/Mustafa after he reconnected with the Spanish from Mexico. But overall, it was a great story.

Ardene wrote: "I'm still in Florida, where they have been taken in by a native community, but since they are so inept have been tasked with working with the women in the fields. I'm dedicating part of this aftern..."

I haven't read Crossing the Continent but am considering it. I have a lot of nonfiction in my to-read list already though, much of it science-related, and prefer to read mostly fiction.
I'm now 3/4 of the way through Moor's Account. They have gradually moved westward, visiting different tribes who treat them better. It has continued to be an interesting book through this middle part. It has 12,000 ratings in Goodreads, which is respectable, but I think it deserves a lot more. I will encourage others to read it.

I have finished, took me just a few days more than a month. I'm reading several other books at same time. This is a five star book for me, I really enjoyed reading it. I liked the ending also.
The author said in the afterward that she basically made up the whole character of Mustafa/Estebanico because the sources say almost nothing about him except that he was there and was a survivor of the expedition.

I'm wondering if Augusta is going to make another comment on this book?

Haha, I'm here, George! I loved it, too, and it also took me about an extra week to finish. I have requested Lalami's The Other Americans from the library, so I can keep reading her catalogue. The amount of research that Lalami conducted to produce The Moor's Account really impressed me. I appreciate the intention behind the novel and the necessary extra dimension this book added to general understanding of explorers' missions. I also agree with Jen's earlier comment about how much this book also ridiculed the Europeans.

Laila Lalami is coming to a local book festival in my city in a few weeks, and I'm excited to go hear her speak.