The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Series: N/A
# of Pages: 391
Publication: June 13th, 2017
Source: Library Audio
Genre: Historical Fiction
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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 splendor 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.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is such a wildly known book. I remember when it was first published in 2017 and people instantly fell in love with it. Three years later and it's still a crowd favorite, so when I noticed that the audiobook was available for check out at my local library I rushed to listen to it. Not a single second of this book failed me. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me angry, and it made me consider the type of impact that I've had on others that have been a part of my life. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is an intimate look into the life of Hugo's experience with being married seven different times. While the context of the story seems shallow (I mean who wouldn't be interested in knowing why a movie star was married to seven different men), the actual "meat" of the story is so much more. Over the years a few people have unintentionally spoiled a small part of the book for me; however, the overall plot remained a surprise and I must say it broke, no shattered my heart.

This book is not for the faint of heart and it's not for those who may think that it is nothing more than a well-developed contemporary tale. It deals with the harsh and sometimes unfair realities of race and identity. Hugo, Cuban, struggles with her heritage and runs from it by dying her hair blond. Monique is bi-racial and struggles with the age old debate of not being black or white enough compared to her counterparts. Then Reid carefully and brilliantly explores sexual identity and what it means to be queer while also finding comfort in sexual freedom and utilizing one's body as a mean to obtain advancements in life. There are sections that closely examine the objectification of women and their inability to determine their destinies and journeys. If that isn't enough, Reid also explores the heartbreaking sacrifices that come with true love and motherhood and the aching pain of regret. Even while writing this review I still can't believe that Reid was able to successfully compact all of these elements into such a gut and heart wrenching novel.

While the reader does not learn much about Monique as a character (I never felt as though she was as "fleshed" out as Hugo), there is a deep and seemingly difficult character analysis of Evelyn Hugo. While I won't go into specifics of Hugo's life to prevent spoilers, I will say that she is a complex character. There were moments when I enjoyed her, empathized with her, and disliked her. She made me feel a full range of emotions that I did realize a character was capable of giving. She surprised me and continued to develop as a character up until the very last page of the novel. In fact, I can proudly state that Hugo is one of the most dynamic characters I've ever read in a book.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will easily go down as one of the most amazing books that I've read in 2020. I was sad when I realized that the book was over and I honestly can't wait to read this book again. If you're looking for a hard hitting book that explores deep and meaningful topics I would definitely recommend picking this up.