In the Name of Salome

Salomé is an average-looking woman who has a gift for writing inspiring verse. From her teen years, Salomé’s poetry captures the country’s attention, and she comes to be regarded as the national poet of the Dominican Republic. She falls in love with the much younger Pancho Henríquez. Although their marriage seems idyllic, the two are separated for four years so that Pancho can complete his medical training in France. Already in weakened health from the birth of three sons, Salomé is left to raise their children while Pancho conducts an affair overseas. This news nearly destroys her, although the couple manages to reconcile after Pancho’s return.

Even as a child, Salomé suffers from melancholy. Her health is always fragile, and she eventually succumbs to tuberculosis while only in her 40s. The entire nation mourns her passing, but none more so than her only daughter and namesake, three-year-old Salomé Camila. Salomé regards her children, rather than her poetry, as her true legacy. She hopes that the next generation will build the nation she and her compatriots aspired to create before her death.