Gabriella Saab's "The Star Society"

Gabriella Saab is the author of The Last Checkmate and Daughters of Victory. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor of business administration in marketing and lives in her hometown of Mobile, Alabama, where she works as a barre instructor. She is of Lebanese heritage and is one of the co-hosts of @hfchitchat on Twitter, a recurring monthly chat and community celebrating the love of reading and writing historical fiction.

Here Saab dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Star Society:

I think The Star Society would be such an exciting movie or, even better, a Netflix or HBO Max miniseries so we could dive even deeper into the story and characters. The story is set in 1946 during the Golden Age of Hollywood—a setting that is perfect for screen with opulence and glamour while overcast by the shadows of Red Scare paranoia. There are also flashbacks to war-torn Arnhem, which would be riveting and emotional to see on screen. The main characters, Ada and Ingrid, are twin sisters who are separated during the war. They reunite when Ingrid, a private investigator, is sent to uncover if her sister, Ada, an actress, has communist ties.

Ada and Ingrid are Dutch and British and have been educated in England, so most people assume they’re British. Although they are not identical twins, they do favor in appearance. Their hair is naturally dark, but postwar, Ingrid dyes her auburn, and Ada’s character is inspired by Audrey Hepburn. While I would love for the real Audrey to play her, if I were casting a modern- day Audrey, the obvious answer is Lily Collins. She favors Audrey Hepburn, and I think she would fit a 1946 setting perfectly and beautifully portray the charm Ada projects to the world while shielding her insecurities and trauma.

To play Ingrid, I would cast Emma Stone. Side by side, the two actresses favor enough to pass as siblings, I think—even if not as similar as fraternal twins can often be—and I think they would play off one another very well. Emma Stone would fit the 1940s setting, too, and I think she would capture Ingrid’s determination and concern for her sister as she wrestles with her duty to her career.

Long before he became famous for playing James Gunn’s Superman, I had David Corenswet cast as Ada’s love interest, Vince Hart. Vince is known as “Hollywood’s Hartthrob” by the gossip columns because he’s the most sought-after leading man in Hollywood—very talented, and very handsome. Corenswet has an old Hollywood appeal with his wavy light brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, and charismatic smile, and he was actually in a Netflix series set during the Golden Age of Hollywood. I thought he fit the period piece very well, and he is perfect for Vince, who is kind and protective and very attuned to Ada.

Ingrid’s husband, Lars, is a lawyer and former member of the Dutch army, and the two fell in love as teenagers. Lars is a man of quiet strength with a gentle, calming presence to offset Ingrid’s fiery nature, and I would love to see someone like Alexander Skarsgård play him. Although Skarsgård is older and it’s a bit outside his usual roles, I think he would be a wonderful choice.

Before I get carried away and cast the whole book, I will cast one more: Ada and Ingrid’s mother, Constance de Vos, is a very interesting character. When the twins were growing up, Mother always favored Ada and clashed with Ingrid, and these issues extend to their adulthood for reasons you’ll have to read the book to find out. Constance is proper, reserved, complicated, and enigmatic, and I would love to see Madeleine Stowe play her.

Visit Gabriella Saab's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Star Society.

Q&A with Gabriella Saab.

--Marshal Zeringue