Book Review: The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami

 

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Content Warning: death, murder, violence, torture, colonization, rape, slavery, racism, anti-Indigenous racism & violence.

Mustafa grows up in a beautiful city in Morocco, chafing beneath the expectations of his father, who wishes for him to follow in his footsteps and become a notary. Mustafa, however, longs for a life as a merchant, drawn in by the beauty of the bazaar and its travelers and riches. When disaster strikes, forcing Mustafa to become his family's provider, he does the unthinkable and sells himself as a slave. Finding himself in Spain, he becomes a member of the fabled expedition underneath Pánfilo de Narváez, forced to accompany his aristocratic master. Little is known of Mustafa's -- now known under his slave name, Estebanico's -- life, but in this fictionalized biography, he is allowed to tell us his own story, and describe the treacherous journey he undertakes in the New World.

While most of us are familiar with the stories of Hernán Cortés, the Spanish explorer who brutally and bloodily colonized Mexico and its peoples, some of us (like myself) might be less familiar with the expedition that takes place in this novel. It truly happened, starting in 1527, when Narváez undertook a long journey to what was known then as La Florida, and from its very inception was plagued by countless problems. Although I've never read any books or stories set during this period, or during the so-called "conquering" of the New World, I feel now that others would likely pale in comparison -- while those tales often seek to glorify the violent, brutal men who committed terrible acts against the Indigenous populations, this one instead tells us not only the story of an enslaved man, but also his time spent amongst various tribes, learning their ways and customs. 

This book is brilliantly realized, and while the language used feels as if it's appropriate to the period it's supposed to have been written in, it never felt overly clunky -- it seemed nothing more than natural for Mustafa. The main character of this story is its heart and its mind, and indeed, he is the hero, the only one able to understand the plight of the Indigenous tribes as well as their intelligence, culture, and their very status as human. It makes sense, of course, since Mustafa himself is viewed as little more than Dorantes's property. The men who go along on the journey, many of them Spanish soldiers and noblemen, are portrayed both as human in their weaknesses and fears, but also the monsters that they are due to their treatment of the tribes. There is one man that Mustafa befriends, Castillo; he is young, impressionable, and one of the few who speaks up against Narváez as he leads them further and further into danger.

It's one part adventure, one part literary account, and both of these aspects are perfectly balanced. There were a few times when I felt that the story was, perhaps, dragging a bit, but it didn't take long for things to pick back up. By far the best parts are Mustafa's memories of his life back in Azemmur (now known mostly as Azemmour or Azammur) and the vivid descriptions of the many tribes he ends up staying with. His reminisces of Azemmur are beautiful, full of a richness that makes you feel as if you can truly smell the spices, see the people, speak with Mustafa's siblings and parents. The distinct blue door of Mustafa's house becomes a symbol of home, of the journey he has made, and his desire to return. 

There's something very beautiful about the entirety of the story, particularly its conclusion, and I found myself moved by many of the lessons that Mustafa both learns and imparts to the reader. Although it is not entirely factual, since -- like all stories -- Lalami takes liberties with the accounts and with exploring the little-known Mustafa, I highly recommend this in particular to people interested in the Spanish expeditions and "conquistadores." 

Beautiful, touching, and a must-read.