Book Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I could not put this book down. I was engulfed by Evelyn Hugo’s life story and I just had to know what happened next. I think Reid had the balance just right for keeping the story moving and revealing just enough to make you keep turning the page.

Monique, the journalist interviewing Evelyn, does not know why Evelyn chose her to tell her story to, but it is an opportunity she cannot turn down, and the link between them will be revealed in the end. Over a couple of weeks Evelyn tells Monique the story of her life, the seven men she married, the things she did to be a successful actress and reach such high levels of fame.

Evelyn did not always do what may be considered the moral thing, and sometimes her actions were simply selfish, but often they were fiercely protective of those she considered family. She can reflect on her life and know that not everything she did was right, but that the things she did to protect her family she would do all over again if she had to. A lot of this story is really about love, many different kinds of love, from great romance, to friendship, and the love of a parent for their child.

The novel touches on many topics you may expect from a glamorous but gritty Hollywood story spanning decades from the 1950s, including domestic abuse, abortion, grief, homophobia, racism, and sexism, and it does so with heart. Although it is a work of fiction, you could easily believe it is a real memoir.

Posted by Lara

Catalogue link: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

2 June 2022

Back to Blog Archive