The Seventh Veil of Salome

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publisher: Del Rey

Publisher’s Summary: A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine—but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic. 

1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times. So when the film’s mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town. Vera also becomes an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves. Two actresses, both determined to make it to the top in Golden Age Hollywood—a city overflowing with gossip, scandal, and intrigue—make for a sizzling combination. But this is the tale of three women, for it is also the story of the princess Salome herself, consumed with desire for the fiery prophet who foretells the doom of her stepfather, Herod: a woman torn between the decree of duty and the yearning of her heart. Before the curtain comes down, there will be tears and tragedy aplenty in this sexy Technicolor saga.

“It seemed appropriate, when looking at a mythical woman, to think about the place where women were made into myths.”

–Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Seventh Veil of Salome

In her latest novel, The Seventh Veil of Salome, bestselling author Silvia Moreno-Garcia has created a rich, complex historical epic featuring the interwoven perspectives of women whose pursuit of fame and power ultimately end in tragedy. The story of Salome has been interpreted by creatives for thousands of years, and has inspired art, literature, plays, and film. Moreno-Garcia lifts the veil to bring the princess and her story vividly to life, portraying Salome as a beautiful young woman trapped in a world of powerful men whose desire to possess her offers both power and danger in equal measure. Salome’s beauty hides a cunning mind and a sharp political acumen, and as the narrative unfolds, she grows into the inevitable realization that she cannot have the love, power, and vengeance that she craves without sacrificing one of these fiercely held ambitions.

Spanning from the biblical era to the silver screen of 1950s Hollywood, Moreno-Garcia examines the story of Salome not only from the princess’s perspective, but also through the lens of Vera Larios, the young Mexican actress hired to portray her character on film, and the jealous Nancy Hartley, whose enmity Vera earns by being offered the Hollywood lifestyle Nancy yearns for. Although thousands of years separate these women, they are connected by the spiritual truth that binds them: a woman who wishes to wield power in a man’s world must be prepared to risk it all. Vera, a debut actress plucked from obscurity in Mexico, is tortured by imposter syndrome and the fear that she is living the glamorous life meant for her sister. As she grows into herself and learns to navigate the racism and sexism of Hollywood, she begins to understand the sacrifices she will have to make if she wants to seize the power offered by the life of a Hollywood starlet. Nancy’s ambition and talent can’t make up for a lack of connections, and she would willingly sell her soul for the opportunity she feels that Vera has been undeservingly offered. Her volatile temper and willingness to go to unfathomable lengths to get what she wants will have far-reaching consequences for nearly everyone that is drawn into her orbit.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is how the past and the present mirror one another. Thousands of years separate Salome, Vera, and Nancy, but they are all at the mercy of a society dominated by men. This is the story of the rise and fall of Kingdoms and of Hollywood studios, where the gossip, scheming, and political maneuvers of Herod’s court mirror the culture of tabloid gossip in 1950s Hollywood, where actors sabotage one another with accusations and innuendo. As Salome and Vera grow into their power, Nancy’s desperation increases as her chances to achieve her lifelong dream slips from her grasp. As Vera is elevated, Nancy tumbles farther from the fame she craves with violent intensity, which sets them both on the road to tragedy.

Although the female characters and their choices dominate this story, each woman is tangled in a passionate love-affair whose outcome readers will be eager to discover. Salome becomes infatuated with the prophet Jokanaan who speaks out against her family, and both Vera and Nancy become involved with a young musician. Salome, Vera and Nancy are all courted by powerful men whose personal ambitions cause them to see these women as pawns to further their careers, and whose destructive anger when thwarted has dire consequences. We know, or think we know, how Salome’s story will end, with the notorious dance of the seven veils, and the head of Jokanaan/John the Baptist presented to her on a plate. It is apparent early in the story that tragedy befalls Vera and Nancy, as several minor characters have perspectives that allude to this throughout the novel. If Salome’s story has a foregone conclusion, Moreno-Garcia succeeds in shrouding Vera and Nancy’s fate in mystery, sustaining the story’s central tension until its explosive end.

Moreno-Garcia is a master at drawing the reader into the settings she establishes, and she has even curated a truly excellent playlist which readers can listen to as they enjoy the novel. There is an epic, cinematic quality to this story, and the meticulous research Moreno-Garcia has done on the biblical era and the world of 1950s Hollywood pays off. This complex story of the pursuit of fame, love, and vengeance plays out through the perspective of Salome, Vera, and Nancy, and the choices they must make to wield power a man’s world come to a tragic and ultimately surprising conclusion. The Seventh Veil of Salome is another triumph for Moreno-Garcia and is sure to win her a legion of new fans. Highly recommended.