The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Rating: 3/5

1950s Hollywood is NOT a very friendly place for women. They are needed for film but are expected to do as the acting house says as far as public appearances and dating lives.

Nancy has been trying to make a name for herself for a few years now and is positive she is right for the role of Salome in the next biblical film to take over Hollywood.

So when Vera is handpicked from her job as a receptionist in her father’s dental office in Mexico City to be Salome, Nancy is furious.

This book is told through the perspective of Nancy, Vera and Salome, with a few bystanders in between.

It took me awhile to get into Salome’s story. I did a lot of skimming through her chapters until the end when I could sense something was coming.

It wasn’t my favorite but I’ll read anything SMG puts out. She’s so great at world building, historical facts and making the last 20% of a book unputdownable. Her endings are always on point and this book was no different.

Thanks to #netgalley, the publisher and the author for this e-arc!

Out this Tuesday, August 6th!

Dark, sexy, rich... Moreno-Garcia truly doesn't miss! The way she brings to life Golden Age Hollywood is so vivid it felt like I was watching a movie while I read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel. I was intrigued by the concept of a dual timeline novel of the Biblical Salome and a 1950s tunic and sandals Hollywood movie about her. How would the two things relate? At first, the transitions were jarring, but over time the similarities between the young starlet playing Salome and Salome herself (who is largely a fictional construction) started to become clear. Both occupy worlds where they have few good options and are surrounded by associates and family members that definitely do not have their best interests at heart. They have to learn quickly how to navigate impossible situations. The Hollywood story was a fascinating look into what it must have been like to experience that studio system, especially as a young Mexican woman. Salome's world was just plain brutal. The use of the dance of the seven veils as a moment of self-discovery in both timelines was sublime. The author can seemingly write about anything and do it successfully. Highly recommend.

Another banger from Moreno-Garcia! This one was so interesting in that it was told from a few different points of view. The first is obviously Salome and her take on the famous biblical tale. The next was from the actresses involved in the film being made about Salome - so this was definitely different from what I have read from her before.

All told, this was amazing and makes me realize how much I love stories set in old Hollywood!

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Pub date: August 6th, 2024.

Set in the 50s, the novel follows the major characters of Nancy Hartley, a Hollywood actress aspiring to get the main role in The Seventh Veil of Salome movie, and on the other hand, Vera (Francisca Severa Larios) who used to be a receptionist in MX and because of her personality and fluency in the English language makes it to Hollywood studios.
The novel opens with the biblical character Salome, and we follow her in a different storyline through the book.

Scandals, gossip rags, romance, glamour, art, and everything that can be related to The Golden Age of Hollywood is in this novel.
As in all of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's novels, it is so well-written, and the historical part is very accurate. It shows how life was in the movie Studios, especially for non-white actors and as well it offers other facts about real Hollywood stars from that time.
The novel explores desire, obsession, envy, racism, love, and passion.

The storytelling is presented in multiple narrations, which I found very engaging, and the last part was very addictive that I couldn't put it down. Even if I'm not very into Hollywood, I was immersed into this world and story.

At the end of the novel, there's a list of the soundtrack for this book and I love this about the author, because she puts her heart and a lot of care in each of her books Ifocusing in every detail and I think this could be her best work.

Highly recommended!
Thank you Netgalley and Random House/Del Rey for the digital-ARC.

A role of a lifetime. Be it Biblical or be it Hollywood in its Golden Era of the 1950's. Silvia Moreno-Garcia steps into a completely different direction for her readers in The Seventh Veil of Salome. We'll follow the footsteps of three women pursuing a sense of self from three opposing positions in life. And Moreno-Garcia lights the way with very artistic bonfires.

Vera Lavios has always been in the shadow of her talented sister, Lumi. Lumi held so much promise and illuminated sunshine in the eyes of their mother. That is until Lumi chose a husband and a family before a career. Vera then accompanied her mother to Hollywood. Vera had been spotted in her father's dentist office in Mexico City by a Hollywood agent. The raven haired beauty would be perfect for the lead role in a new production.

The Seventh Veil of Salome was in development in Pacific Pictures where Joe Kantor was diligently making script changes under the scrutiny of Max Niemann, the producer. Vera had limited experience in plays and on the stage. But Vera knew music and dance as if it were part of her. That's what landed her the part when she aced her screen tests. There was chemistry between her and the leading man. But was it enough to set the course of action to the final act?

And then Moreno-Garcia switches gears and brings in a layer of the ancient Salome herself in a parallel storyline. Salome is portrayed as a young beauty caught in the snare of her tetrarch step-father and her mother, Herodias, who plots for a solid marriage of convenience for Salome. It's all about alliances. But Salome's head is turned by the preaching of Jokanaan (St. John the Baptist). It will all conclude as in famous plays and famous paintings.

Nancy Hartley has been in Hollywood for over six years. At the age of twenty-six, she's no longer the young ingenue. Innocence has never been Nancy's strong suit at any rate. But when Vera hits the studio, Nancy is filled with resentment. She has a misguided sense of self and foolishly thinks that the role of Salome should go to her. Believe me, Nancy has all the dark colors of racism, jealousy, and a tinge of sociopathy in her handbag ready to draw out at a moment's notice.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has really outdone herself in this novel. Her research of times of the past is always stellar. What also stands out is her creativity and cleverness with such an original storyline. She provides ancient history with Salome while shining a light on how the stars of Hollywood maneuvered their way through studio guidelines, gossip columns, over-the-top parties, magazines like Hollywood Confidential and the hammer of censorship. The young and innocent are no longer the young and innocent.

My only concern was with the quick wrap-up at the end. The lead-up was so finely detailed with great dialogue and sparks of humor along with biting words and slapping insults. We almost could have used another volume to complete the tale. But know this: When Silvia Moreno-Garcia is in the house, it's to a standing ovation. Bravo, as always.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House and to the talented Silvia Moreno-Garcia for the opportunity.

Brilliantly done, a genre I generally dont really enjoy reading, but I was fully pulled in by these women's stories and with the old hollywood setting. I also loved the parallels between Salome and the Hollywood narratives.

Once again Moreno-Garcia proves they are a master of their craft. The Seventh Veil of Salome transports the reader into another time and place, allow them to be a part of 1950's glamor Hollywood, and become engrossed in the lives, struggles and successes of three very different yet very similar women.

The story itself starts out slow, yet seductive and allows the reader to feel some kind of way, to develop feelings and thought, judgements even about the women, their roles and their actions all while slowly opening the world and their motives to the larger pictures. I loved the voice the author gave to Salome, someone not fully developed in other works.

I won't give spoilers, but let me just leave you with this... Moreno-Garcia is one of the most talented writers today and no matter the story, genre, or the characters, they bring their magic to every page and it is felt by this reader for one! What a lovely experience.

In The Seventh Veil of Salome, Moreno-Garcia not only demonstrates her mastery of diverse storytelling but also offers a profound commentary on gender and power dynamics. I loved how the author intertwines the lives of her characters to illuminate a central theme: the pervasive influence of patriarchal structures.

This book is not reminiscent of the genres SMG typically leans into, and it truly shows how versatile this author is. And, as always with SMG books, the atmospheric quality of her writing enhances the reader's engagement, drawing them into the settings she creates.

I didn’t feel as connected to these characters as I have in her past novels, but I still really enjoyed this one.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for this eARC!

I've been a longtime fan of Silvia's work, and, again, this didn't disappoint. I loved the braiding of the main story plot with the biblical/religious story. The narration device worked so well. This is historical fiction novel is yet another jewel from Silvia. I'm always mesmerized by how easily she can write different (but somewhat similar) books. I highly recommend this!

Ironic enough, at the start of this year, I went to a special art exhibit in Houston and saw one of the Salome paintings in person. I didn't know much about The Seventh Veil of Salome—let alone that the woman is a figure from the Bible and other notable works like Oscar Wilde's play. I felt drawn to the painting for some reason, and after reading this book, it feels a bit like foreshadowing and tbr destiny to have seen it months before reading a book about the same figure. I didn't see the painting Silvia specifically references in the book, but instead, I saw Gustav Moreau's Salome Dancing before Herod (aka Salomé dansant devant Hérode). The feeling I find in the painting, especially after reading this book, is chills. In the painting I saw, Salome has her hand raised much like what Salome does in the book near the end of the dance, and it's created a starker image and emotions for that scene in my head. I'm pretty obsessed with the connection between this painting I took a photo of in January to the book following the same figure.

Honestly, at first I was not sure the three POVs combined well. While I saw the correlation between Salome, Vera, and Nancy, I still felt initially that Salome was an odd choice to include. This story could've very well been just a tale of Nancy and Vera along with the documentary style POV interviews sprinkled throughout the book. It wasn't until the very end where I truly felt the deep connection between these three women. Silvia perfectly wrote that scene, much like the perfectly executed dance sequence by Salome/Vera, which I'll discuss more later. I felt the rightness of Silvia's words, and it elevated my feelings tenfold. These three women showed that humanity has not changed over the course of thousands of years—that a woman struggling to make a career or a woman newly fresh in the world of cinema could relate to a princess destined to make religious history. I loved that concept upon reflection, but it took me some time to get to that opinion.

A part of me still wishes Salome could've had her own book to herself, but that's the selfish history nerd within me speaking. I adore Ancient history in fiction (Greek mythology, Babylon, Egypt, etc.), so I loved to see her interactions with the men at the time as well as the historical context since I am Catholic. I think Silvia could definitely write a historical book from this era, and I would gobble it up in one sitting.

The best part of the book? As soon as Vera began dancing for the movie. The writing mimicked the intensity and hunger of the dance, and it balanced the emotional toll as well as the physical. I loved that Silvia started to blend POV realities between Vera and Salome. At first it was wholly Vera on stage, but then midway through the dance, there's a complete shift to Salome in front of the partygoers. it's to the point where readers know the characters have combined within the dance. It's as if the ghost of Salome, the ghost of dance even, came to Vera and took her over. It's very figurative and well done. Like I mentioned above, this scene was the turning point for my enjoyment because the Ancient scenes with Salome truly connected to the modern day ones.

All in all, Silvia wrote another banger. I'll never get over her books, and I cannot wait to read the next one. Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The lovelives and struggles of three women drive the narrative of The Seventh Veil of Salome. The Salome of history and two women in 1950s Los Angeles starring in a Golden Age of Hollywood epic sword and sandal film interpretation of Salome’s life. Nancy has been in Hollywood for four years, and has the looks, fashion sense and training to be a star, but has so far not hit the big time, she thought the role of Salome would be hers. Instead she leaves in a cheap hotel room and her on and off again drug dealing boyfriend Bennie wants more for the two of them. Vera was ‘discovered’ in her father’s dental office in Mexico and given the role of Salome despite almost every other starlet trying out for the starring role.

This Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel is full historical fiction like Velvet Was the Night. The narrative is presented like a movie script or oral history with each section headed by a character's name moving back and forth in time. All of them hint toward the tragic ending of broken hearts and lost loves. All of our main characters are trapped by circumstances, social mores or the authority figures in their lives. Vera is under the strict thumb of her mother, and Vera is not the mother’s ideal child, that would be her sister Lumi the best at everything. Nancy has Bennie and a bookie father who feels he has provided far too many chances. Salome has her mother and Uncle, and the potential of two suitors, neither of them the one she loves.

The Seventh Veil of Salome is a parallel narrative of tragedy homage to Hollywood at the zenith of the major movie studio and a behind the scenes story of making a movie. With all the baggage of egos, casual racism, gossip and societal expectations that stardom entails.

Recommended to readers of historical fiction, making of features, or tragic stories of lost opportunities.

The Seventh Veil of Salome was so, so enjoyable. I was not familiar with the play Salome, but I am familiar with the biblical story of the daughter of Herodias. Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s adaptation of the story was riveting and full of intrigue and emotion. The Old Hollywood parallel story was also enjoyable, and it brought to mind another recent novel set during the golden age of Old Hollywood, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.”

Vera is a relatable, strong main character, and it was easy to root for her throughout the novel. Salome is an engaging character as well, although her motivations were sometimes unclear to me. The two stories continuously ran parallel to one another and never seemed to fully intersect (outside the making of the movie). I noticed a few lines from Joe Kantor’s fictional script that made it into Salome’s story, but that was the clearest indicator I found that demonstrates the stories relate.

I enjoyed: the references to real actors and real Hollywood anecdotes, the political intrigue of Salome’s story, the edge-of-your-seat anticipation of dealing with ruthless and unpredictable characters, and the romance. Ultimately, I really like this book! Once again, I find that Silvia Moreno-Garcia is adept at combining an engaging, well-paced plot with highly developed characters. I think this would be a great selection for a book club. It’s clear that Moreno-Garcia did a lot of great research, and there is so much to ponder and discuss in this book! 4.5/5 Stars

"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."

Well, I'm glad that someone is at least talking about Salome herself!

I continue to be in awe of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's versatility and execution in writing across an array of genres and time periods. Every single book I've read by her thus far has the uncanny ability to transport me to its respective setting, and The Seventh Veil of Salome is no exception.

In this novel, Garcia transports us to the glamorous yet challenging world of 1950s Hollywood. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, following three women who are each striving to carve out a space for themselves in a society that strips them of agency. We first meet Vera, a talented Mexican actress cast as the lead in Salome, and Nancy, an ambitious American woman determined to achieve her dreams. Interwoven with their narratives is an alternate storyline that brings the tale of Salome to life, adding a rich layer of intrigue and drama.

I might be in the minority here, but I find that I most enjoy Garcia's works that don't include speculative elements. Her research into different time periods pays off in her vivid portrayal of her setting and characters. The Seventh Veil of Salome is purely historical fiction, free from any fantastical components, and I loved every second of it. The detailed exploration of the era and the depth of the characters made this my favorite book by her so far.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing an advance reader's copy of The Seventh Veil of Salome.

The Seventh Veil of Salome is a lush look into old Hollywood and the realities of racism, classism, and greed.

Vera Larios is plucked from obscurity to play Salome in a big budget Hollywood film. Unfortunately, because of her quick rise to fame and her ethnicity being Mexican, she finds it can be very easy to make enemies along the way.

This is the story of a scorned woman, a naïve woman, and a fictionally underrepresented woman who’s lives all become intertwined. I loved the Salome chapters and the depth they added to the current story as well as breathing life into a not well-known biblical character.

Moreno-Garcia’s writing is always so beautiful and engaging. She’s really done her homework on the time and place of The Seventh Veil of Salome and you can feel the sense of place like its it’s own character.

A truly tragic story with artful execution.

I’ve been a fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s novels since reading Mexican Gothic and I must say that The Seventh Veil of Salome feels sure to be another hit.

In this novel, we follow Vera, a young Mexican actress who has been cast as Salome in the 1950’s Hollywood film The Seventh Veil of Salome, Nancy, a bit player with a stalling career who was shut out of the role and relegated to the background and the biblical story of Salome, a princess who is consumed with desire of a fiery prophet who foretells the doom of her stepfather Herod. The story oscillates between these three perspectives and the people surrounding the Hollywood production in the 50s, showcasing a story that demonstrates that the struggles these women went through were not all that different.

This author does an incredible job at painting two different worlds in 1950s Hollywood and biblical times. The story seamlessly blends these worlds together and kept me captivated throughout. I felt sympathy for Vera as she navigated Hollywood for the first time, especially in the way she is oppressed by the men surrounding her. Nancy’s fury and jealousy surrounding Vera is palpable and though less sympathetic, Moreno Garcia doesn’t shy away from showing us the ugly side of the business. Salome’s biblical world is also beautifully crafted and we do go on a journey for her as she weighs her feelings of the prophet and the other men surrounding her.

This is a delightful novel that is well paced and engaging. I highly recommend picking it up when it comes out on August 6th!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

In 1950s Hollywood, the filming of The Seventh Veil of Salome begins with unknown actress Vera Larios cast in the career-defining role. She had been working as a receptionist at her father's dental practice in Mexico City when she was discovered by the director's assistant and encouraged to audition after half of Hollywood had been rejected. She has to contend with her own doubt about her abilities to play this role, her family's doubt about her move to Hollywood, the pressures of the director and the studio, jealousy and racism from her costars, and falling in love for the first time. The story is told through the eyes of Vera, the character Salome, actors, producers, writers, and reporters who were all involved at the time, alluding to a tragedy that occurred during filming. I enjoyed all of the characters' perspectives and the way the tension was built up as Vera and Salome's narratives intertwined and mirrored each other was wonderful writing. This will appeal to fans of historical fiction and especially to people who enjoy old Hollywood.

All is not as it appears in this historical novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia where three different women fight for their survival in a world dominated by the men around them, and they will ultimately end up forging their own destinies in fame or infamy. The Seventh Veil of Salome by SMG sucks you into the Golden Age of Hollywood where actors are living in a dreamy illusion of grandeur and luxury, but we soon learn that even the most gilded of dreams can tarnish, becoming indistinguishable from devastating tragedy.

Vera Larios is a debut actress. She is plucked from obscurity---she’s supposed to be a nobody, arisen from nothing. However, she’s everything the explosive director, Max Niemann, has ever coveted for the only remaining role yet to be cast in his newest and much anticipated film, The Seventh Veil of Salome. To begin with, Vera is this obedient, polite, and decorous individual, but along the way she finds her voice, which quickly reveals a more confident, assertive, and autonomous version of herself. She’s also able to uproot a deeply embedded conviction, planted and carefully cultivated by her mother, that she will never be enough compared to her more fair, more beautiful, more talented sister. These character transformations eventually help her move beyond a bad case of imposter syndrome, one that develops from self-deprecating guilt she harbors due to the alienating belief that she is living her sister’s life.

Nancy Hartley is no new player on the board in Hollywood but is so desperate to make it as a big actress, she is consumed by her own jealousy and avarice. Vera Larios becomes the expected target of her ire, and Nancy is an adversary you love to hate. Racist, impulsive, and living on the scraps she’s been thrown from the tables of Hollywood legends for far too long, she’s a woman possessed with a single-minded purpose to accomplish her life’s dream of stardom, ostensibly at any cost. The harder she tries to regain some measure of control in her quickly spiraling career, the greater amount of damage she inflicts upon her situation. With the devasting losses mounting and failure looming, she ends up condemning Vera, which only succeeds in whipping her anguish and rage into a murderous passion.

Princess Salome is a woman plucked from the very pages of the bible. Her character is strong, clever, resilient, and resourceful---all things she must be to survive in biblical antiquity. She is caught in a web of her own desire, and as always, women can never have it all, so she must sacrifice everything to fulfill only one of them. Will it be love, vengeance, or power Salome decides she must have beyond all else? Dependent upon what she chooses, her fate will be paired with Jakanaan to indulge the love she has for this heretical preacher, her usurping Uncle Herod to exact her burning vengeance in the name of her murdered father, or her cousin Marcus Agrippa and the power he represents to seize her rightful crown and title.

Interestingly, aspects of Salome’s character will have significant influence over how both Vera and Nancy evolve and the resulting fateful decisions they make in their own lives. What disturbs me is the story of Salome, set during biblical times, is still so applicable to what these women are going through during 1950’s Hollywood. These women are cherry picked by men, stripped of their identities, assigned new names, new personas, and new backstories to make them more marketable towards the white male gaze. They are told who to be with and where, what to think or not to think at all, how to dress, how to eat, and what to say. Both Vera and Nancy contend with conflicting demands from all sides. Men in the industry are doing their best to coerce and program them to become Hollywood starlets, responsible for ushering in a new era of filmmaking, but their families are mounting increasingly higher expectations for them to attain this success and settle down for a properly deadened, mechanical existence as homemakers, housewives, and mothers. Shockingly, they are all alive during a time where everything is chosen for women by men, even their very thoughts are carefully manufactured to be congruent with the politics or beliefs of the patriarchy. Horrifically, all three of these women must smile through everything while silently raging for their stolen freedoms. They are simply fighting for basic rights: to be heard and to be seen, for identity and agency to oversee their own lives.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is so unbelievably versatile! She has a toe dipped in multiple different genres, and each time she is able to flawlessly and effortlessly deliver bestselling titles. She is one of my favorite authors, and I love how she’s able to immerse you in her story telling. When I saw that this book was in the works, I was beside myself with excitement---I mean come on, set in old Hollywood with promised drama on and off the screen, sign me up immediately!! If you would enjoy a sizzling period piece set in 1950’s Hollywood laced with lots of glitz and drama, then this would be for you! Tragic and beautiful, this one is an easy pick for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Normally I am not usually a fan of numerous shifting points of view, but how it’s done is not confusing, gives context seasoned with a dash of foreshadowing, and helps drive the story forward. I also really enjoyed getting to know these women and following them through their stories. I really, reallyyy love to hate Nancy, and I get the impression that she’s written to be that dislikable, but I also think I could understand her. That soul consuming desperation can fuel the rashest of decisions and feed the deepest, darkest parts of human nature like nothing else. Salome….oh my goodness! Big fan over here. She finally has enough of obedience and oppression and takes what she needs to cleverly gain the upper hand against her uncle and secure her own future. She is celebrated by her own mother for her brazen choice in her story, but no one realizes that a campaign of bloody retribution has likely just begun…

Thank you so so much to NetGalley and Random House/Del Rey for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! I have already posted my review to both my Goodreads and Facebook Group (The Book Banquet), but I will also be posting my review to my Amazon and B & N on publication day.

A riveting story that winds through biblical history and 1950s Hollywood. The story of Vera, a newly discovered actress in her first major role blends seamlessly with the story of her character Salome. The multi-viewpoint storytelling adds intrigue and mystery. Another phenomenal story from Moreno-Garcia!