She Would Be King A Novel

Wayétu Moore's powerful debut novel, She Would Be King, reimagines the tumultuous and dramatic story of Liberia's early years through a blend of history and magical realism. The story follows the intertwined destinies of three extraordinary characters who share an uncommon, and perhaps cursed, bond. The first is Gbessa, a red-haired woman from the West African village of Lai who is exiled on suspicion of being a witch and possesses immortality. The second is June Dey, a man of unusual strength born into slavery on a plantation in Virginia, who is forced to flee after a confrontation with an overseer. The third is Norman Aragon, the child of a white British colonizer and a Maroon slave from Jamaica, who has the ability to fade from sight at will. When the three meet in the colony of Monrovia, they realize their unique gifts, or curses, are needed to protect the weak and vulnerable amid rising tensions between the American settlers, French slave traders, and indigenous tribes. Guided by the spirit of the wind, who embodies an ancient wisdom, their extraordinary powers help salvage the tense relationship between the African American settlers and the indigenous tribes as the new nation forms around them. The novel is a vibrant story of the African diaspora that illuminates the tumultuous roots of Liberia, a country inextricably bound to the United States.

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