The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Going into this book, I wasn’t sure if reading about an old Hollywood star that had been married multiple times would hold my interest, but it did. It is about so much more than that.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Pages: 400
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Published: June 13, 2017
5/5 stars
This book covers women being seen first, and sometimes only, for their beauty over skill. It is also having the confidence to go after what you want and be fine with what you are willing to do to get it. It is also about hiding your true self from the public and what a strain that can be on personal relationships.
Monique Grant is just starting her journalism career at a big magazine when Evelyn Hugo, a famous Oscar-winning movie star that came to fame in the old Hollywood studio system, wants Monique to write her life story, even though Monique has no idea how Evelyn even knows who she is. Monique’s boss doesn’t want to give her the task and tries to pass it off to someone else, but Evelyn will only sit down with Monique. Eventually, Monique will learn why Evelyn chose her to write her story.
Along the way, there are brief glimpses into Monique’s life too, and I went back and forth wanting a bit more from Monique. Her character isn’t as well developed, but she has been in a holding pattern for a while and this story helps compel her to figure out what she wants in her life. While I did want to know a bit more about Monique, I also really wanted the story to go back to Evelyn and her life, because Monique really was the catalyst to hear Evelyn’s story.
I wasn’t sure what to think of Evelyn Hugo. There were times that I was impressed with her tenacity while other times, I disliked her greatly based on decisions she made. I felt pity for how she had to hide where she came from and who she really was and at the end, I saw her as very lonely, but still in control of her life. The entire book is really a character study and Evelyn Hugo was a fascinating character.