The Moor's Account Summary
Laila Lalami

The Moor's Account Overview

In the historical novel entitled The Moor's Account, Laila Lalami fictionalizes the story of a real-life Castilian expedition to the Americas in the sixteenth century. The narrative, however, unfolds from the perspective of Mustafa, the slave of one of the Castilian leaders of the expedition. Mustafa recounts the events in a much different manner, however, than those who were originally tasked with creating a historical record of the expedition's activities. Over the course of the narrative, Lalami includes themes such as the link between oppression and brutality, the relationship between power and corruption, and the importance of honoring historically-marginalized voices.