The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo-Storyline and Book Review

Born Evelyn Elena Herrera in 1938, the daughter of Cuban immigrants, Evelyn Hugo grows up in the Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood of New York City. She hates her life of poverty and desperation and wants to, by any means, get herself out of it. Evelyn knows that the path is not going to be easy and may require her to make sacrifices. But she is determined. She knows her strengths, has a sharp mind and is well aware of what is required to achieve her goals. She knows that in this cutthroat business if she has to make a space for herself, she would require people. This means she will have to, if needed, play around with their minds and use them, to advance her career. And she puts her 100% and achieves what she set out to do. In the mid-1950s, she makes her debut in Hollywood and, over time, becomes a sensation. She builds a successful acting career, bags many films and wins rewards and accolades.

Many men come into her life; some she marries because she loves them, and others because she needs them. Unfortunately, none of the marriages last long. But Evelyn doesn’t mind. In her lifetime, she experiences motherhood, finds her true love and is blessed with a best friend.

Because Evelyn is famous, people are interested in her life, and the media captures every little part of her life. But no one, including the media, knows the true story of Evelyn Hugo. That’s because Evelyn is smart enough to manipulate them too. So, what the media reports and what people learn about her life is only what is visible from the outside, i,e her life’s partial truth.

Years afterwards, when Evelyn is well past her youth, has retired from acting and has outlived all her husbands and loved ones, she appoints a newbie in the media industry, Monique, to write her biography. Evelyn wants to narrate her true story and wants it published after she dies. But why does a larger-than-life personality like Evelyn Hugo choose the inexperienced Monique to write her story? Are the two connected in some way? What is it about Evelyn Hugo that, despite so much media coverage, remains concealed? Is Evelyn just what she seems to the world, or is there more to her than glamour and show?

The book starts with a call to Monique’s office that Evelyn wants to meet her. Monique, though surprised and quite unsure, visits Evelyn. And from then on, the two start spending days together as Evelyn lets her heart out and reveals her story, and Monique records it so that she can later reproduce it in the biography. Monique comes up close to Evelyn. She starts looking up to her, empathising with her and getting inspired by her incredible life until, the now 79-year-old Evelyn reveals why she chose Monique for the job. And Monique is certainly not prepared for this truth. The two finish the interview and part ways. What happens in their lives afterwards? How does Monque decide to present Evelyn’s story to the world? All this gets revealed at the end of the book.

It is simply worded book and quite an interesting read. Certainly a page-turner.