Book Discussion Schedule:
- September 8 at 11 a.m.
- Chapters 1-6
- September 22 at 11 a.m.
- Chapters 7-12
- October 6 at 11 a.m.
- Chapters 13-18
- October 20 at 11 a.m.
- Chapters 19-24
About the Book:
The Moor’s Account is a fictional memoir of Estebanico, the Moroccan slave who survived the Narvaez expedition and accompanied Cabeza de Vaca to Florida. He is widely considered to be the first black explorer of America, but little is known about his early life. 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.
About the Author:
Laila Lalami was born in Rabat and educated in Morocco, Great Britain and the United States. She is the author of four novels, including Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, Secret Son, The Moor’s Account and The Other Americans. Her essays and criticism have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, Harper’s, The Guardian, and The New York Times. She has received fellowships from the British Council, the Fulbright Program and the Guggenheim Foundation. She currently serves as a professor of creative writing at the University of California at Riverside. She lives in Los Angeles, California. Her newest book, a work of nonfiction, Conditional Citizens, will be published by Pantheon in the fall of 2020.
