Zoraida: A Romance (1894) is an adventure novel by Anglo-French writer William Le Queux. Published at the beginning of Le Queux's career as a leading author of popular thrillers, Zoraida: A Romance is a story of adventure, omen, and the dangers of attraction. Using his own research and experience as a journalist and adventurer, Le Queux crafts an accessible, entertaining story for readers in search of a literary escape. Known for his works of fiction and nonfiction on the possibility of Germany invading Britain-a paranoia common in the early twentieth century-William Le Queux also wrote dozens of thrillers and adventure novels for a dedicated public audience. Although critical acclaim eluded him, popular success made him one of England's bestselling writers. In Zoraida: A Romance, an English adventurer named Cecil Holcombe journeys on horseback across the Sahara Desert in search of a caravan belonging to Ali Ben Hafiz. Catching up with the men and camels bound for a faraway town, Holcombe gains their trust with his mastery of Arabic and respect of their cultural customs. After sharing a meal in the shade of a stony shelter, the caravan, bound for the Touat Oasis, continues on its way. When an ill omen occurs, Ali Ben Hafiz warns Holcombe against falling in love with a local woman, instead suggesting the Englishman return to his country to live a life in peace with a wife and family. Undeterred by danger, however, Holcombe ignores the man's prophecy, and soon falls into the trap of the beautiful Zoraida. Zoraida: A Romance is a tale of mystery and danger set in the beautiful desert of southern Algeria, and remains fresh and exciting over a century after it was published.
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