Velvet Was the Night

Why do you think Maite likes to steal things?

Maite is obsessed with romance magazines and comic books. How does she view fantasy versus reality? What do you think that says about her world?

While at first, Leonora’s disappearance irks her, Maite eventually becomes intrigued by it. Why do you think that is?

How do the lives of Maite and Elvis parallel each other?

Are you a fan of literary noir? In what ways does Velvet Was the Night stay true to the genre? Are there ways the genre is taken to new, different levels?

Was there a character or situation that you identified with?

Are there lingering questions from the book that you’re still pondering?

What do you think of Leonora? How is she seen through the eyes and in the mind of Maite?

In what ways are Maite and Elvis transformed over the course of the book? What do you think their lives might look like going forward?

Were you familiar with the historical incidents that inspired the story? What more would you like to learn? Can you draw any parallels to current events?

What other books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia have you read? What storytelling similarities do you see? How does this book differ?