The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Review by Jill Hedgecock
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” (Atria Books, reprint, 2018, paperback, 398 pages, $9.99) by Taylor Jenkins Reid is the compelling story of a Boomer-era Hollywood star, Evelyn Hugo, reflecting on her often-scandalous rise to stardom. Hugo’s retrospective story is intertwined with the life of a young journalist’s, who signs on to write Hugo’s biography.
While Hugo’s life is the predominant tale, journalist Monique Grant’s story is also compelling. Grant is in the midst of the fallout from a recent divorce. Suffering from a lack of confidence, Monique tends to let opportunities slide past her. As a result, her career at “Vivant Magazine” is stagnating. But when summoned to 79-year-old Hugo’s Upper East Side apartment on the pretense that Hugo will grant an exclusive interview to Vivant Magazine, Monique is instead offered the opportunity of a lifetime—to write Hugo’s biography.
Hugo’s story begins with a recounting of her childhood growing up with Cuban immigrant parents in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen. She is a teenager when she marries her first husband, Eddie, in the 1950s. Eddie agrees to take her to Hollywood, where Hugo aspires to become a famous actress. Author Taylor Jenkins Reid does a fabulous job of reminding readers of the era that Hugo grows up in—a time when Hollywood movies and producers focused on building careers of talented actors and actresses. Hugo knows how to play the game and soon divorces her first husband to marry a handsome actor who is also a rising star. And so it goes, with an unapologetic Hugo divorcing and marrying men that serve her changing needs. There are twists and turns along the way as Hugo describes her complicated life, and Monique also finds herself changing in unexpected ways as a result.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a New York Times Bestseller, an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Literature and Fiction. This is the perfect novel for readers who want to immerse themselves in the golden days of gossip columns, and the days when the lives of Hollywood’s rich and famous could be scripted by Hollywood agents and movie producers. Fans of The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin and People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry will likely enjoy this novel.
Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author of multiple New York Times Bestselling novels, including Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones and The Six. Other books by Reid include One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her books have been chosen by Reese’s Book Club, Read with Jenna, Indie Next, Best of Amazon, and Book of the Month. Her novel, Daisy Jones and The Six, is adapted as a limited series on Amazon Prime. She lives in Los Angeles. Follow her on Instagram @tjenkinsreid.
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