Although Laila Lalami’s Man Booker-longlisted historical novel is not science fiction, her impeccable creation of the past sometimes seems like a dazzling exercise in fantasy. Told from the perspective of the Moroccan slave Estebanico, mentioned in passing in official accounts, it depicts the doomed saga of the Spanish conquistador Pánfilo de Narváez who, in 1527, led an expedition to colonise Florida, which led to horrendous consequences for the unprepared settlers. Out of the original party of 300, there were only four survivors, including Estebanico.
Lalami’s device of switching between Estebanico’s previous life in Morocco and the debacle in Florida is effective and ambitious, giving this thought-provoking book both scope and intelligence, but the principal achievement here is Lalami’s (and Estebanico’s) sensual love of ornate and rich language. Dispelling cliches about the noble savage, Estebanico is a charming, fluent and articulate narrator, seducing the reader with his wonderfully unusual tale.
The Moor’s Account is published by Periscope (£9.99). Click here to order it for £7.99
