Miss Del Rio: A Novel of Dolores Del Rio, The First Major Latina Star in Hollywood by Bárbara Mujica (Paperback)

Fiction - Historical - Biographical

Published by: 10/4/2022

In the tradition of Marie Benedict's The Only Woman in the Room and Adriana Trigiani's All The Stars in the Heavens, a stunning biographical historical novel set over five decades about Mexican actress Dolores del Río—the first major Latina star in Hollywood, member of Tinseltown's glamorous inner circle with notables such as Orson Welles and Marlene Dietrich, and proud Mexican woman who helped pioneer Mexican cinema's Golden Age.

1910, Mexico. As the country’s revolution spreads, Dolores, the daughter of a wealthy banker, must flee her comfortable life in Durango or risk death. Her family settles in Mexico City, where, at sixteen, she marries the worldly Jaime del Río. But in a twist of fate, at a party she meets an influential American director who recognizes in her a natural performer. He invites her to Hollywood, and practically overnight, the famous Miss del Río is born.

Dolores’s star quickly rises, and her days become a whirlwind of moviemaking and glamorous events. Swept up in L.A.'s glitzy inner circle, she takes her place among film royalty such as Marlene Dietrich and Orson Welles. But as her career soars, her personal life becomes increasingly complicated, with family tragedy, divorce, and real heartache. And when she’s labeled box office poison amid growing prejudice before WWII, Dolores must decide what price she’s willing to pay to achieve her dreams and if her heart and future instead lie where it all began…in Mexico.

Spanning half a century and narrated by Dolores’s fictional hairdresser and longtime friend, Miss del Río traces the life of a trailblazing woman whose legacy in Hollywood and in Mexico still shines bright today.

“This incredible novel spans decades and spins its tale with glamour and heart.”
—BuzzFeed

“[A] vivid story about the life of one exceptional woman.... Mujica’s richly detailed biographical novel transports readers through an eventful swath of history, starting with the 1910 Mexican Revolution, encompassing the Roaring Twenties, early Hollywood, the Great Depression, and World War II... For fans of women-centered historical fiction, especially the works of Marie Benedict and Paula McLain.”
—Library Journal

“Stories of two different but equally engaging women intertwine in Mujica’s superb historical novel…. Mujica writes with extraordinary talent.”
—Historical Novel Society