Book Review: "The Seventh Veil of Salome" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

If you like stories about old Hollywood and the behind-the-scenes activities that came with making movies, this may be a book for you. The truth is, it probably would make a fascinating limited series on television even more than a book.

It's the 1950s, and movies based on Bible stories are all the rage. A famous director decides to make a movie about the princess Salome, and nearly every actress in Hollywood has auditioned for the title role or wishes they could. But the director chooses Vera Larios, a young Mexican woman who has never been in a movie before.

Vera is excited about the movie but also very nervous, as acting was never a path she considered. She deals with impostor syndrome, because she doesn’t quite understand how she got the role or what is expected of her. And as the studio begins introducing her to the public, she finds herself on the arm of famous actors, going to glamorous parties, but she’d rather be at home.

It’s not long before Vera’s naïveté causes trouble with one of her costars, and makes her the object of gossip and scrutiny. At the same time, Nancy Hartley, an aspiring actress more known for sleeping around and drinking too hard, becomes envious of Vera, wanting everything she has, as Nancy thinks she deserves it more.

While these narratives are unfolding, they’re intertwined with the story of Salome, a young woman torn between her love of a handsome preacher and her duty to her family, including her stepfather, King Herod.

I really wanted to love this book, but there was just too much going on at the same time. The book is narrated by a large cast of people who flit in and out, sharing their perspectives. I enjoyed the story but felt the pacing moved much slower than I wanted it to.