The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo sent me on a ride I was not ready for!
Summary
Born and raised in Hell’s Kitchen, Evelyn knew there was more to life than the rough and ragged streets of New York. Rather than letting her looks go to waste she used them to her advantage and made her way to 1950’s Hollywood. If it weren’t enough to be in Hollywood, Evelyn found herself to be the eye of the tabloids no matter what she did.
At the ripe age of 79, Evelyn has decided to finally tell her story––the whole truth and nothing but. And who does she decide to give it to? Unknown journalist Monique Grant. Rather than letting the underlying question falter Evelyn quickly reveals the true love of her life, but it’s everything that takes place there after that sends the reader on a ride. And even after everything Evelyn shares, she drops a bomb on Monique that rocks her core.
Filled with ambition and emotion the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will leave you frustrated with the MC for the manipulation she played throughout her life, and a love and respect for her because she was always true to who she was and stood in it until the day she died. Like many of us, we are who we are in addition to growth, but Evelyn is nothing short of a complex character. I think one thing is for sure, you get what you get when it comes to Evelyn.
Review
When I first saw this book, the title alone was enough. I figured it was about some voodoo witch who probably killed all of her husbands, but oh how wrong I was. This story was so elegantly written that I had to take a moment to myself to reflect on my own life.
One of the most important things to me is to be accepted for who I am and not judged for who a person believes me to be. This book only ignited my respect for those who step into their light even when it is a light that doesn’t shine on the best parts of them. And since love was a huge player in the stories them, it gave you all the feels you need to feel outwardly and inwardly. Because when you realize you can tell someone your truth, you can show up as yourself––bare––and share mutually share the feeling, “you’re safe with me,” that’s intimacy. There are great misunderstandings within some of the most beautiful people and to be seen through a lens that reflects exactly who you are can prove to have a great impact on the receiver.
Depending on how you write a story, the love will appear poetic no matter how gentle or abusive it is. And though Evelyn’s love was not given to many, when she does decide to display it it is not anything less than a grand gesture.
As I’ve stated, one of the greatest players in this story is love, and it is illuminated in some of the most intricate ways, where you are not analyzing the physical attraction the people have with one another, but the depths of their minds and hearts.
Of course, my favorite character is the star of the show, Ms. Evelyn Hugo herself. I cannot say there are many similarities that made me connect with Evelyn except that she was ambitious to get to where she needed to be and she learned to accept who she was sooner than a lot of people in the world. When there are so many things on this Earth to convince you to not like yourself or that you should take the same route as others, Evelyn was determined to make her name known and to become who she saw herself becoming.
I think anyone who is looking for a way to step into who they are unapologetically should read this book. Quite often people are afraid to be themselves in fear of judgement, but the main character, Evelyn Hugo, was once again, unapologetically herself, which I believe is what made me love her character. Society has emerged in a way where may people feel as though if they do not fit into a specific category than they must be “other,” or “weird, when in actuality they are just who they are and it doesn’t need to have a positive or negative connotation behind it. Sure, there are things that are blatantly right or wrong, but when it comes to who people are there’s this bad stigma that says that’s all of who they are and nothing further. Rather than that is just a part of who they are and nothing less.
I would say my only gripe with this book is the ending. I would’ve loved for there to be a different outcome, not for Evelyn per se but for Monique. It was almost as if putting her in the spotlight and without an option. Though Evelyn had plans of her own in general, and Monique could have proceeded with the story how ever she wanted it was like Evelyn bomb rushed her with her life story and expected it to be an easy situation. It was almost like an ultimatum which was not fair to Monique because she is a new reporter it could have easily tarnished her name depending on what she shared with the world.
Taylor is brilliant her words and knows how to really invoke all the feels in her writing and since I am quite sensitive myself the words spoke to me on a different level. Go grab your copy of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for all the feels.
