The Affair - Novel (Broché)

This novel is the story of Tywalyne, a beautiful young woman who falls in love with an older man. They circle around each other, then fall into bed-but many forces tear them apart. Both are from an educated stratum of Moroccan society-though his family and business pursuits remain obscure to both Tywalyne and the reader. He is attractive, brutal, weak at times. She is questing, confused by the fury of their encounters-though she clearly perceives his egotism.
A kind of tragedy-but not a classical, Greek one. A harrowing introspection, but also an allegory, as the author has said, of "the eternal," and "the impossible." Among the many works of the author, The Affair appeared, more than twenty years ago, under a pseudonym. It was thought to be the first published erotic novel (but be careful-it is much more than that) by a woman from a predominantly Muslim country.
It recently appeared (the original, French version) in El Khayat's own country, rather than in France-and under her own distinguished name.