"In some ways, I think it’s the closest that we come to the truth — is in the form of fiction."

“In some ways, I think it’s the closest that we come to the truth — is in the form of fiction.”

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Laila Lalami explains why she chose to write about Estebanico, a slave and explorer from the 16th century, in the form of fiction rather than nonfiction.

Estebanico was a Moroccan slave on the ill-fated Narvaez Expedition. He was one of only 4 men to survive out of a party of 600. 

"I came across this mention of this expedition and of the fact that this Moroccan slave was said to be the first African explorer of America," Lalami tells NPR’s Arun Rath. "And I was Moroccan and I thought, ‘Well, how come I’ve never heard of him?’ "

Lalami’s new book, a fictional memoir from Estebanico’s point of view, is called The Moor’s Tale.

(via nprbooks)