The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
After all these years posh Hollywood star Evelyn Hugo is ready to tell her life story. She retreated from the spotlight in the 1980s, after years of fame, but remained a legacy. With amazing grace and beauty, she was an enigma that left the public wanting to know more about her life and, of course, the seven men she married along the way. Now, at the age of 79, she is willing to grant an interview with a large magazine on one condition — the article must be written by Monique Grant. When she chooses Monique Grant, an aspiring journalist, to complete her life story, the journalism world is stunned. Monique, who is going through her own divorce, is determined to be a successful writer, and this assignment will make or break her. When the feature article turns into a biography, Monique knows that this could be the deal of a lifetime.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo sheds light on what it means to be a woman and the challenges she faces on the road to success. As the story unfolds, we watch a girl develop into a woman and grow in many ways. Evelyn Hugo brings old Hollywood to life with her story of marriage, abuse, love, and determination. This book asks the question, “What would you do for the people you love? And how far would you be willing to go for self-preservation?” Evelyn Hugo’s fictional memoir takes you through her life, inviting you to watch her change with each passing decade. The book is written with depth and a perspective that evokes many different emotions in the reader. Each page describes memories of an exciting life that included victory, struggle, heartbreak, and situations in which lives collided in unexpected ways.
A Note From the Bella Book Host, EmilyAnn Raynor
There is dark side to all of the Hollywood glitz and glamour. We have seen documentaries about what the stars of the Golden Age were put through to maintain their stardom. Impossible body standards, dates and marriages that were little more than publicity opportunities, substance and alcohol abuse, and above all hiding who you really are — these were all part of that image. Evelyn Hugo is fictional, but what struck me about Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing is how real the story feels through to the very end. Evelyn went through all of those things and more. During the course of reading the book, many stories of real celebrities came to mind, although their names were not mentioned.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is another selection that I listened to on Audible instead of reading. I may as well just admit that if it weren’t for Audible and audio books I would be hard pressed to find any time to read. A good narrator can make or break a story for me. In this selection, three narrators were used: one voice for present day Monique who is interviewing Evelyn, one for Evelyn in the past, and one for the “News Flashes” between the chapters. I have absolutely put down a book in the past if the narrators were terrible, but these three did not at all disappoint. I also appreciated that Monique, a woman of color, was voiced by Robin Miles, also a woman of color, a detail that could have been overlooked in a medium where you don’t see faces.
Why we chose this title:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is well written and not overly long. Even though the experiences portrayed were of a wealthy and famous actress, the struggles she went through are real to so many. Finding and living your truth, keeping parts of yourself secret for fear of judgement, making decisions to further your career, and finally making decisions to protect your family and loved ones — these are issues a wide audience can relate to.
