The Seveneth Veil of Salome Review
By Celeste Daniels
TW: Racism, some gore
Hello, audacious readers!
I know, I know; I’m late. But May is not over yet! So, let’s enjoy the last days of spring before summer settles in. Last month, we explored the life and love of Selena Quintanilla-Perez in the biography, To Selena, With Love by Chris Perez. This month, we’re going behind the scenes of 1950’s Hollywood in The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
Hollywood has been on the edge of their seats for months during the development of the film, “The Seventh Veil of Salome” with every actress in town vying for the legendary role. So, when the demanding director bypasses all the classic American beauties for a Mexican ingénue, Tinsel Town is in shock.
Vera Larios is not an actress by trade and worked as a secretary at her father’s dental practice, only supporting her sister, who was supposed to be the star according to her mother. But from the moment the directo saw her, he knew she was perfect for the role and she dared to take the one-in-a-million chance.
Sweet, polite, and mysterious, Vera is quickly targeted by racist publications and envious actresses, including background extra Nancy Hartley. Nancy has been in Hollywood for a few years but has yet to make it big. Seeing Vera as the main obstacle, she’ll do anything to gain the fame she believes she deserves.
But Vera and Nancy aren’t the only ones involved. Woven into the story is the tale of princess Salome, who falls for the doomed prophet, John the Baptist. Meanwhile, people around her scheme for the throne her uncle stole from father. Caught in the eye of the storm, her next move will determine the future of not only herself, but the country, and tragedy is guaranteed for all involved.
There was only one reason that I would have hated this book: if Vera had died, Night of the Living Dead style. That alone put me on edge the entire story. Luckily, that didn’t happen! And when I got to the end, I had to give Moreno-Garcia her 10’s.
I’ve read multiple stories in multiple genres from her, including Mexican Gothic, but I think this is her best work yet. Between the parallel storytelling, the richness of the settings, and the execution of the quality of the plot, it left me completely satisfied. There’s so much I can talk about with this book but one highlight I’ll talk about for now are the three main female characters.
There is something to be said for making each character accountable towards their actions but not a lesson of a person. Vera was sweet but she could have better handled the harsher realities of her job as an actress rather than constantly trying to run away from it. Still, it didn’t make her a flat-out victim of the situation either. Nancy, the main villiain, was also humanized but Moreno-Garcia never justified her actions. Even Salome’s character was young and spoiled due to her royal upbringing, but she was never made stupid or helpless.
Each of these women were forced to make choices that strengthened their characters even as they ultimately led to the tragicdeaths at the end of the stories. They also mirrored each other when it came to them going after their dreams and desires as well as coming to terms with reality. Each one is strong, independent, andunique and I enjoyed being surrounded by their strength throughout the story.
I hope you enjoyed The Seventh Veil of Salome! Feel free to comment your thoughts below and make sure to check out May’s read, coming tomorrow. Also make sure to RSVP for Audacity’s 6th Anniversary party on June 7th! Enjoy music, laughs, drinks, and prizes as we celebrate another daring year. Until next time, don’t forget to read audaciously!
