The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

Whether you like this book or not, it's impossible to not call it fascinating. Tracing the life of celebrity actress, Evelyn Hugo, you're given a behind-the-veil look at Old Hollywood and the struggles of being a successful woman in an industry that loves control.

Coming up in the 50's and 60's, Evelyn has an innate sense of how to work the system. She's gorgeous, and immediately begins using that, and the expectation that she needs a husband, to her advantage. Throughout an illustrious career, this leads to seven husbands. 

Her relationships are shrouded in assumptions, with only the media's speculations to show any insight. The truth is much more interesting.

Now, nearing the end of her life, Evelyn handpicks an up-and-coming journalist to capture her story. Her lack of skills makes it a curious choice, but there's a twist.

Monique has hit with a few pieces during her limited career as a writer. It's enough to get her a good job, with potential for growth. Her personal life, on the other hand, is a bit of a mess. She's grappling with the separation from her husband, and his subsequent move across the country. It's not that she misses him, she doesn't know how she really feels. That uncertainty is unsettling. It lingers until the call comes in from Evelyn's people. Monique has been specifically requested to do a piece, but what the opportunity becomes is a chance to capture the complete story of Evelyn's life. The truths Evelyn shares turn into more of a confession, a reveal of the life she really lived, who she really loved. She admits to mistakes with no regrets. She knows where she is happened because of all the good and bad in her past.

As Monique and Evelyn unravel this single life, a deeper connection is made. Monique finds herself, her voice. She's inspired by a woman who manipulated more strings to propel her life forward than you'd think possible.

Then, an informational bomb drops. Monique is forced to see an integral moment in her own life differently. Now she must decide how complicated her hate, and her respect, is for the woman who just shared her full story.

This book is somewhere between a piece of fictional commentary and a beach read. It goes fast, feels a bit cliche at times, but then hits you with a surprise whammy that makes you think. I liked the strength portrayed here by the female characters alongside their fallibility. I liked that nobody belonged on a pedestal, and that human nature was carefully explored from every angle. I liked the light the book shed on the fear that came with living outside the mainstream when that term still held all the value. This is an interesting and entertaining book, with just the right mix of emotions. Recommended.

Also by Taylor Jenkins Reid:

• Daisy Jones and the Six (reviewed Jan. 2020)