She Would Be King

by Wayetu Moore

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"Wayétu Moore is an inspiration . . . her book is a gift" Imbolo Mbue


"The book is unforgettable . . . irresistibly evocative and fierce. She Would Be King is a masterfully wrought alternate history of magical black resistance" Star Tribune


"This novel dazzles with beauty and transcendent, transformative humanity" Sarah Jessica Parker


In the west African village of Lai, red-haired Gbessa is cursed at birth and exiled on suspicion of being a witch. Bitten by a viper and left for dead, she survives to discover a new life with a group of African American settlers in the colony of Monrovia.


Then Gbessa meets two extraordinary others; June Dey - a man of unusual strength, born into slavery on a plantation in Virginia - and Norman Aragon, the child of a white British coloniser and a Maroon slave from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, who can fade from sight at will.


Soon all three realise that they are cursed - or perhaps, uniquely gifted. Together they protect the weak and vulnerable, but only Gbessa can salvage the tense relationship between the settlers and the indigenous tribes.

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In her transcendent debut, Wayétu Moore illuminates the tumultuous roots of Liberia, blending history and magical realism in a profound tale of resistance and humanity.

  • ISBN10 1911590138
  • ISBN13 9781911590132
  • Publish Date 2 April 2020 (first published 11 September 2018)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country GB
  • Publisher Pushkin Press
  • Imprint ONE
  • Format Paperback
  • Pages 368
  • Language English