She Would Be King – Wayétu Moore

Graywolf Press | Hardcover | September 11, 2018

​In this mesmerizing debut novel, Wayétu Moore delivers an origin story like no other. With the all-powerful, all-knowing spirit of the wind as her narrator, Moore uses magical realism to reframe the history and founding of Liberia. She weaves together the stories of Gbessa, a Vai woman with the gift of immortality; June Dey, a runaway slave, and the superman Clark Kent merely wishes he could be; and Norman Aragon, the son of Englishman and Maroon slave, who can disappear at will.

Through these characters, Moore explores massive themes: love and loss, resiliency and fortitude, and the price of freedom. But, then again, this novel is a massive book that spans across generations and continents—and Moore, being the rockstar that she is, makes it look easy.

The brilliance of this novel resides in Moore’s decision to have the spirit of the wind serve as her narrator. By having this omniscient, God-like figure telling this story, Moore is able to seamlessly move from Gbessa, June Dey, and Norman’s pasts and presents without jarring the reader—even though for most of the novel their stories span across oceans and continents. This debut has cemented Wayétu Moore into a place of a master storyteller, and something tells me she’s only getting started. I look forward to seeing where the wind will take her next.