As our country spirals into more and more discord over who did what on Jan. 6, 2021, and whether women should have reproductive rights, it seems right and proper for a novel concerning World War II-era Italian fascism to highlight how easy it is for all of us to fall prey to false romantic narratives. All the better if the author is Anthony Marra, and the book “Mercury Pictures Presents” does so through the perspective of a poorly run Hollywood film studio.

The book sounds almost like Fellini in reverse: Life itself provides the ridiculous parts. Only make-believe can save us. Though as protagonist Maria Lagana discovers, sometimes make-believe is just as dangerous as reality.