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She Would Be King
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Wayétu Moore
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
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She Would Be King
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Summary
Sarah Jessica Parker and the American Library Association Book Club Central Official Selection
A novel of exhilarating range, magical realism, and history - a dazzling retelling of Liberia’s formation
Wayétu Moore’s powerful debut novel, She Would Be King, reimagines the dramatic story of Liberia’s early years through three unforgettable characters who share an uncommon bond. Gbessa, exiled from the West African village of Lai, is starved, bitten by a viper, and left for dead, but still she survives. June Dey, raised on a plantation in Virginia, hides his unusual strength until a confrontation with the overseer forces him to flee. Norman Aragon, the child of a white British colonizer and a Maroon slave from Jamaica, can fade from sight when the earth calls him. When the three meet in the settlement of Monrovia, their gifts help them salvage the tense relationship between the African American settlers and the indigenous tribes, as a new nation forms around them.
Moore’s intermingling of history and magical realism finds voice not just in these three characters but also in the fleeting spirit of the wind, who embodies an ancient wisdom. “If she was not a woman,” the wind says of Gbessa, “she would be king.” In this vibrant story of the African diaspora, Moore, a talented storyteller and a daring writer, illuminates with radiant and exacting prose the tumultuous roots of a country inextricably bound to the United States. She Would Be King is a novel of profound depth set against a vast canvas and a transcendent debut from a major new author.
Critic reviews
"[Narrator Wayétu] Moore's soothing, restive, and contemplative tones give listeners a sense of the mystical realm of spirits while allowing us to envision the complex threads of the narrative. Her delivery adds to listeners' desire to see if the three characters will find freedom as their new country seeks to be liberated from the shadow of American influence." (AudioFile)
“Moore skillfully reconsiders the idealism of the early African-American settlers through their interactions with the indigenous peoples and braids together intimate story lines centered around universal themes: falling in love, defying familial expectations and the difficulties of doing the right thing.” (The New York Times)
“An ambitious, genre-hopping, continent-spanning novel.... Moore is a brisk and skilled storyteller who weaves her protagonists' disparate stories together with aplomb yet is also able to render her sprawling cast of characters in ways that feel psychologically compelling. In addition, the novel's various settings - Virginia, Jamaica, and West Africa - are depicted so lushly that readers will find themselves enchanted.” (Kirkus Reviews)
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What listeners say about She Would Be King
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tamara C-J
- 07-01-23
Brilliant- very engaging!!
Loved this novel. Very well written and the story kept me engaged from start to finish!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- RL
- 02-06-20
Captivating piece of art
A wonderfully rich piece. So well produced and narrated. Very happy with this listen. (I don't usually write reviews but all compelled too share this with others)
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 23-09-18
she would be king
she would be king: This is written with an almost musical poetic style contrasting with the starkly brutal story. often dark I found this story ultimately hopeful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 06-01-19
my favourite book
Such a beautiful story, performance and character development - this book is epic. Highly highly highly recommend!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 04-11-20
Brilliant
I couldn't stop listening. I felt right at home in the setting and story telling.
She connected blacks in the Caribbean, America & West Africa so naturally and I appreciate her intent.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 12-04-21
Magical
I struggled to get into the story at the start, but really enjoyed the narrative once I did. I liked how it flicked between the three characters though it made it difficult to place when things were occurring. The tale felt a little rushed at the end to get the three heroes together.
Mostly I enjoyed how much this story opened my eyes to Liberia's history.
The narration was good, though the accents were often not great, it didn't matter to me.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- katja faber
- 04-05-22
Too Complicated
Too complicated, especially Book 1, and overall it was difficult to warm to the characters -- sadly, I soon realized I was not invested in any of them nor their outcome. The subject matter in Book 2 was more interesting in that it focused on the founding of Liberia but overall the plot development was patchy and confusing. It's a debut book by this writer, so in that sense it is excellent, but personally, the end of this novel couldn't come quickly enough for me.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 09-02-19
Slow Start
I found this a hard book to get into but stuck with it and it did improve. Personally, I think the magical realism genre is better as a physical book than an audiobook. Overall, there were a few interesting themes but quite forgettable.
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1 person found this helpful