Moroccan scholar and author Khalid Bekkaoui has published his second novel, Necklace and Pomegranates, a multicultural historical work set in the dynamic world of late Victorian Gibraltar.
Published by Al Mawsoua, a Fez-based publishing house, the novel tells the story of Sayfudeen Farah, a Moroccan merchant of Hispano-Moorish heritage, whose life unfolds amid love, loss, and cultural clashes.
At the heart of the novel is Sayfudeen’s journey through a tangle of complex relationships, beginning with his love for Sitara, an Indian circus performer. Their romance is abruptly disrupted when Sitara is forced to flee Gibraltar to protect her beloved dancing elephant.
In the midst of his longing for Sitara, Sayfudeen encounters Morena Gomez, a young Spanish woman with a troubled past. Seeking refuge from an oppressive stepmother and a scandalous escape from a convent, Morena persuades Sayfudeen into marriage. However, as a devout Catholic grappling with her faith and deep-rooted biases, Morena’s inner turmoil casts a shadow over their union.
Necklace and Pomegranates is more than just a love story; it is a meditation on cultural identity, religious conflict, and the legacies of colonialism.
Set against the backdrop of Gibraltar’s bustling commercial hub, the novel delves into the intricacies of cross-cultural encounters, reflecting Bekkaoui’s scholarly focus on Orientalism and the representation of Morocco and the Middle East in Western narratives.
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