“The Moor’s Account” by Laila Lalami is a fictionalized memoir of a Moorish slave from Morocco named Mustafa ibn Muhammad ibn Abdussalam Al-Zamori. Known as Estebanico by his Spanish master and conquistador, Andrés Dorantes, he travels with a Spanish fleet in 1527 to settle in La Florida for the king and queen.
Of the five ships and 600-strong contingent that land on the shores of the New World, only four manage to survive and one of them is Mustafa. Lalami’s book is based on real accounts of the expedition through Mustafa’s eyes and it reads as hauntingly as it does correctly in terms of details and times we know so little of. This is Lalami’s third book and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2015.
The story begins with Mustafa arriving in La Florida as part of Governor Pánfilo de Narváez’s expedition. At 30 years of age, and five years as a slave, Mustafa floats between two planes: On the first he clings to his past, longing for Morocco, his old life and the old world, and second, his present state and status. Mustafa dreams of being back at home in Morocco where he was free and known by his real name. After he is enslaved and sold to Dorantes, he is given a new name and identity, stripping him of his history.
“A name is precious; it carries inside it a language, a history, a set of traditions, a particular way of looking at the world.” It matters little to those who enslave him that “Estebanico was a man conceived by the Castilians, quite different from the man I really was.”
But he finds himself in the West, a slave, where freedom is a very remote possibility. He is witness to the discovery of the New World and sees his future there, no matter how much he wishes to be back home. “The ambition of the others trained you, slowly and irrevocably.”
Mustafa’s memoir accounts all that transpires after landing in the New World. He serves to partially authenticate the accounts of his companions, Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, Alonso del Castillo Maldonado and Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca.
“The first was my legal master; the second my fellow captive, and the third my rival storyteller.” Beholden to rules and laws, the three men leave much out of their accounts when they tell their stories later. Mustafa leaves nothing out of his story because he is “neither beholden to Castilian men of power, nor bound by the rules of society to which I did not belong;” he was “free to recount the true story of what happened to my companions and me.”
The moment the expedition begins, the Spanish discover gold in an abandoned Indian village. With a thirst for wealth and after capturing a few Indians, Narváez decides to march farther inland in search of more treasure. He renames the Indian village Portillo and allows the notary Jerónimo de Albaniz to declare the land which is now the property of Spain’s king and queen. The scene reminds Mustafa of when the Portuguese took over his hometown in Morocco, changing his destiny and separating him from his family. “Now, halfway across the world, the scene was repeating itself on a different stage, with different people.”
It is then that the expedition splits; 600 people were felt to be too large a group to march together. Narváez sends 300 people — women, children and those unable to march — to the ships, which will eventually meet them at Pánuco; he and all the able-bodied men march to Apalache. With riches hoped to match those of Montezuma, the expedition begins with overzealous attitudes but soon becomes a journey that not only tests the physical vigor of men but their mental stability and luck. They meet some tribes that are kind and helpful and others that are hostile, but because of limited resources, dangerous animals, mosquitoes and fever, only four survive, and the definition of survival in the New World is different from the one they are used to.
Lalami’s book is moving from the first page. The parallels between being enslaved in one land and traveling thousands of miles to conquer another are disturbingly similar with the viciousness of the captor and the hostile environment. The conditions in which Mustafa travels and all that he endures, as well as details of the Spanish conquerors and the native population, are all meticulously told. Lalami’s words are carefully crafted to depict a complicated and heartbreaking history of conquerors and conquests.
The book tells all as seen by Mustafa who sees everything from interaction among the Spanish to meeting the indigenous population, to himself, a black slave among white masters, in the land of the “red-skin” Indian. The book moves between Mustafa’s present and past, as a slave and as a free man in his home town of Azemmur, the son of a notary and a clever merchant. Lalami writes of Mustafa’s life in Morocco with an ease and a gentleness like the breezes there. She writes of calls to prayer, roasting lambs and bustling souqs, which contrast starkly with the untamed wilderness of the New World, the tattooed people, the swarming mosquitos and the desperate will to survive.
Mustafa adapts to his surroundings, moving through the land and his own predicament. In the New World, he soon realizes that there is neither master nor slave when survival is at stake. Here, he can be the equal of Dorantes and the captains; he even becomes a healer and a storyteller, acting in the same way as he once saw in the crowded souq in Azemmur when he was a boy.
Lalami’s research into this book was extensive as she shaped her characters around real events that occurred 490 years ago. It is also an enormous accomplishment when we realize she bases her protagonist on one line she read in Cabeza de Vaca’s diary, “The fourth (survivor) is Estebanico, an Arab Negro from Azamor.” Nothing is known of Estebanico, and no other account mentions him. We long in vain to know more about him but hundreds of years later, it is Lalami who finally puts into words what life may have been for him as she beautifully brings him into being.
“After all, what the sufferers needed most of all was an assurance that someone understood their pain and that, if not a full cure, at least some respite from it lay further ahead. This too was something I had learned in the markets of Azemmur: a good story can heal.”
— Manal Shakir is the author of “Magic Within,” published by Harper Collins India, and a freelance writer. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.
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Book Review: ‘The Moor’s Account’ gives a Moroccan slave his voice
Book Review: ‘The Moor’s Account’ gives a Moroccan slave his voice
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Japan: The Natural History of an Asian Archipelago’
Author: Mark Brazil
This richly illustrated guide is the first comprehensive and accessible introduction to the extraordinary natural history of the Japanese archipelago.
It explains how Japan’s geology, geography, climate, seas and currents have forged conditions supporting a diverse range of species—from cranes, bears, eagles and monkeys to plants, butterflies, dragonflies, frogs and snakes—many of which are found nowhere else in the world.
Engaging and authoritative, this book is a must-have for anyone who wants to explore or learn about Japan’s natural wonders, from the Japanese Macaque—the famous snow monkeys—to the magnificent Steller’s Eagle.
Book Review: ‘The Condiment Book’ by Claire Dinhut
When presented with a plate of piping hot French fries, what condiment do you reach for to slather, drizzle or dip into?
If you’ve ever wondered about your choice, there is a new book that will speak to your soul.
“The Condiment Book,” published late 2024, is a comprehensive guide celebrating the unsung heroes and supporting stars of our meals.
From timeless staples like ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and butter (in their various iterations) to more adventurous hot sauces, ferments, pickles, dressings, oils and dips, the book explores the myriad ways in which condiments enhance our everyday dining. Add a little squeeze, a giant dollop or a sprinkling and it completely changes the whole meal and your experience.
Packed with recipes, flavor pairings and historical insights in an Instagrammable-ready format, each page is a love letter to a condiment.
Author Claire Dinhut, better known as “Condiment Claire,” describes herself as not a chef but a “flavor adventurer.” She has built a loyal following with her engaging content, particularly on TikTok, where she taste-tests and rates everything from jams to butters.
“This book is about curiosity,” she writes. “What excites our taste buds? How can we evoke feelings with every bite? How can we travel the world while sitting at a table?”
Dinhut begins by addressing the fundamental question: What is a condiment? She explains how the term originates from the Latin “condire,” meaning “to preserve, pickle, season, spice, render pleasant or enhance flavor.” In ancient Rome, a “condominium” referred to any sauce — an addition not strictly necessary but which always elevated the dish.
However, she clarifies: “This is not a cookbook. Instead, think of this book as a flavor manual.”
While it includes recipes for homemade condiments, Dinhut reassures readers that store-bought is perfectly fine. In her words, the book serves as a “personal diary of fun eats to tantalize our taste buds and keep life exciting.”
And it is does not simply provide a sprinkling of recipes; it delivers historical gems, too.
For instance, did you know the first ketchup had a fishy story? Originating in Hokkien Chinese as “ke-tsiap,” the original version was likely made from fermented fish. It was not until 1812 in the US that tomato ketchup as we know it made its debut.
Dinhut’s non-cookbook is an invitation to embrace curiosity, creativity, and flavor in every bite and is itself a complementary condiment for your collection of recipe books.
Book Review: ‘White Nights’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “White Nights” is a hauntingly beautiful novella that captures the delicate interplay of dreams and reality, love and loneliness.
Written in 1848, this early work by the Russian master offers a poignant exploration of human emotions, showcasing his remarkable ability to delve into the complexities of the heart.
Told in the first person, the novella invites readers into the world of a nameless narrator, a dreamer who yearns for connection yet struggles with isolation.
Set against the ethereal backdrop of St. Petersburg’s white nights, where the sun barely sets and time feels suspended, the story unfolds over the course of four evenings and one morning.
The narrator, a solitary figure lost in his own fantasies, encounters Nastenka, a young woman whose vitality and vulnerability draw him out of his shell.
What begins as an unlikely meeting blossoms into an intense, fleeting relationship, marked by confessions, shared hopes, and the bittersweet promise of love.
Dostoevsky’s prose is lyrical and evocative, capturing the dreamlike atmosphere of the city and the emotional turbulence of his characters. The narrator’s voice is filled with longing and naivety, his idealism and vulnerability making him both endearing and tragic.
Nastenka, meanwhile, is a figure of contrasts — at once strong-willed and dependent, hopeful and heartbroken. Together, they create a dynamic that is as tender as it is heartbreaking.
At its core, “White Nights” is a meditation on loneliness and the human desire for connection. Dostoevsky paints a vivid picture of the narrator’s internal world, a place filled with grandiose dreams but devoid of real companionship.
The fleeting relationship with Nastenka becomes a mirror for his yearning, offering him a taste of the intimacy he craves while underscoring its impermanence. Their encounters are imbued with a sense of fragility, as if the story itself might dissolve with the dawn.
The novella also explores the tension between reality and fantasy, a theme that runs through much of Dostoevsky’s work.
The narrator’s idealized view of love clashes with the complexities of Nastenka’s situation, creating a narrative that is as much about disillusionment as it is about hope.
In this way, “White Nights” reflects Dostoevsky’s early interest in the psychological struggles that would later define his great novels.
Though brief, “White Nights” is rich in emotional depth and literary beauty. It captures the universal experience of longing, the ache of unfulfilled dreams, and the bittersweet nature of human connections that are as fleeting as the white nights themselves.
For readers new to Dostoevsky, the novella serves as an accessible entry point to his work, while longtime admirers will recognize the seeds of the psychological insight and moral complexity that define his later masterpieces.
In “White Nights,” Dostoevsky creates a timeless portrait of the human spirit — its capacity for love, vulnerability to heartbreak, and endless yearning for something just out of reach.
It is a story that lingers in the mind, much like the soft glow of a St. Petersburg summer night, leaving readers both moved and reflective.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Birds at Rest’ by Roger Pasquier
“Birds at Rest” is the first book to give a full picture of how birds rest, roost, and sleep, a vital part of their lives.
It features new science that can measure what is happening in a bird’s brain over the course of a night or when it has flown to another hemisphere, as well as still-valuable observations by legendary naturalists such as John James Audubon, Alfred Russel Wallace, and Theodore Roosevelt. Much of what they saw and what ornithologists are studying today can be observed and enjoyed by any birder.
What We Are Reading Today: ‘A Dynamical Systems Theory of Thermodynamics’
Author: Wassim M. Haddad
“A Dynamical Systems Theory of Thermodynamics” develops a postmodern theory of thermodynamics as part of mathematical dynamical systems theory.
This book merges the two universalisms of thermodynamics and dynamical systems theory in a single compendium, with the latter providing an ideal language for the former, to develop a new and unique framework for dynamical thermodynamics.
In particular, the book uses system-theoretic ideas to bring coherence, clarity, and precision to an important and poorly understood classical area of science.
