A Moroccan slave's imagined memoir reshapes the history of a doomed 16th-century Spanish expedition.
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A Moroccan slave's imagined memoir reshapes the history of a doomed 16th-century Spanish expedition.
A New York Times Notable Book. In this stunning work of historical fiction, Laila Lalami brings us the imagined memoirs of the first black explorer of America--a Moroccan slave whose testimony was left out of the official record. In 1527 the conquistador Pnfilo de Narvez sailed from the port of Sanlcar de Barrameda with a crew of 600 men and nearly a hundred horses. His goal was to claim what is now the Gulf Coast of the United States for the Spanish crown and, in the process, become as wealthy ...
will contain mild spoilers
Minor romantic elements; brief and not central to the story.
Frequent violence including battles, starvation, and death during expedition.
Minimal use of strong language; not a focus of the narrative.
No evidence found in available sources.
No evidence found in available sources.
Moderate religious themes tied to colonial and cultural contexts.
No fantasy magic or witchcraft depicted.
No real-world occult content depicted.
Strong themes of colonialism, race, and cultural clash.
No evidence found in available sources.
Central themes of slavery and systemic suffering of enslaved character.
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