Back-cover blurb for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid:
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 in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jump-start her career.
Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late ’80s and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds – revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love – Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.
“Sometimes reality comes crashing down on you. Other times reality simply waits, patiently, for you to run out of the energy it takes to deny it.”
― Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
This book was a tabloid tale walking through memories of a golden era of Hollywood glamor gone by. It was a nuanced and timely look at the difference between what society suggests we should want vs. what actually makes us happy, the image we project vs. the realities we live with, the things we hide vs. what we share and how both make us who we are. This book did an excellent job of demonstrating many different ways that love can show up over the course of a life: how we can have chemistry with people who are not good for us, how our relationship with each person we love is unique, how each life is a whole tapestry with some longer threads and some shorter threads to make our own beautiful picture.
Yet, this book was very easy to read. It dealt with heavy themes, but never struck me as deep. I can’t tell if I think that is a feature or a bug, but somehow they could talk at length about the extreme measures taken to hide race, domestic violence, or LGBTQ+ sexuality and still seem a bit on the superficial side. The people all seem kind of selfish and willing to do anything to be successful (except, sometimes, actually working hard), but then maybe are a bit morally conflicted as an afterthought. Perhaps it reflects actual society in that way.
Still, listening to the audio book was a joy. The performance was entertaining and the story flowed through me. Overall, I recommend this story.