The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

From the author of Daisy Jones & The Six in which a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ’80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a mesmerizing journey through the splendour of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means and what it costs to face the truth.

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a novel that I read for a book club, and I’ll be honest, if I hadn’t read it for that group, it’s not one that I would have picked up. The blurb didn’t really appeal, and – despite the well-known idiom – I’ve always maintained that a cover is an excellent way of judging a book, and the cover of this one does nothing for me. In this case, I would have been wrong. I absolutely loved it and I found it to be an incredibly compelling read.

The novel introduces us to Evelyn Hugo, a former Hollywood star whose personal life garnered as much attention as her movie career. Now in her late seventies and living a reclusive life in New York, she requests a rare interview with young journalist, Monique Grant.  But it soon becomes clear that she’s offering an even bigger opportunity – not just an interview, but the chance to write an authorised biography.  It’s an incredibly lucrative opportunity for Monique and one that she can’t turn down, even though she has no idea why Evelyn has picked her specifically. It’s a question that isn’t answered until much later in the novel, but it’s an answer that is worth waiting for as I felt it was deftly handled.

What follows is Evelyn’s account of her life and its inevitable ups and downs, but in particular her rise to fame and those seven marriages that the title promises.  She decides from a young age that she will get to Hollywood, and we learn of the sacrifices she makes in order to achieve that ambition.  Evelyn’s experiences are far from unique as she realises early on that what Hollywood wants is not Evelyn as herself, but a particular version of her that the public can fall in love with.  This includes becoming a blonde, American bombshell despite her Cuban heritage, dying her hair, and taking elocution lessons to remove any trace of accent that she’s carried with her.  Beautiful from a young age, she learns early on what men want and how she can turn that to her advantage – something that she does willingly, but relevant in today’s #MeToo era as it’s now much more apparent how common such “transactions” are.  Evelyn does all of this willingly and is ready to sacrifice as much as it takes to get to where she wants to be, and yet I couldn’t help but feel a little sad at how much she’d had to give up to achieve her goals.

And of course we get the details on those marriages – the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I loved the way that each husband is introduced with a descriptor, immediately setting the tone for how that marriage will pan out, such as “Poor Ernie Diaz” and “Goddamn Don Adler”. We know that the early marriages in particular don’t last, but each one is fascinating in its own way as we understand how each marriage came about – I’m sure it goes without saying that it wasn’t always for love – what each one was like, and how they ended.  I liked being able to infer from those introductory titles what Evelyn’s experience would be.  While you might wonder how much variation such a novel can include, I assure you that it’s not repetitive in the slightest.  And I enjoyed finding out who she really loved.  Monique asks Evelyn early on who the love of her life was – reasonable, in the circumstances – and the answer is both unexpected and beautiful.

What is clear is that while she has lived the Hollywood dream to the max and has been its highest paid actress, her life has not always been straightforward or happy. She’s experienced her share of heartbreak and there have been moments of sadness and frustration amongst the good times.  And there are things that she regrets – Evelyn gives an honest portrayal of her life, and admits to stepping on some toes to achieve her goals.  She makes for a fascinating character study and Evelyn’s character feels like a tribute individuals such as Elizabeth Taylor and Rita Hayworth where there obvious parallels between her life and theirs. 

Throughout the novel, we do also get to know Monique, although not in as much detail.  A young journalist, she is experiencing her own separation, albeit from her one and only husband.  I enjoyed Monique’s development over the course of the novel, and it’s clear that she takes inspiration from the formidable individual that she is unexpectedly writing a biography for during their time together.  Evelyn helps Monique to realise that a failed marriage does not make Monique herself a failure, and that sometimes you just have to move on.  And from the little we know of her husband, Dan, I’d say that she’s better off without him.  I enjoyed the sense of female empowerment which gives Monique the courage to do what she needs to so that she can get her life back on track.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a novel that I absolutely adored.  Evelyn’s tale is unexpectedly compelling, and I was gripped from the first page as I wanted to understand her and those relationships in more detail.  And I liked the way in which the author included a hint of mystery in the novel – it’s subtle and poignant when Evelyn does come clean about her reason for choosing Monique to writer her autobiography.  Highly recommended even if – and maybe especially if – you think it’s not for you.