Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish date: June 13th, 2017
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 389
Rating: 5/5
Genre: romance, contemporary romance, domestic fiction, psychological fiction, LGBT literature
Content Warnings: domestic and sexual abuse, racism, abortion, suicide, alcoholism, death, biphobia
This is hands down, one of my most favorite reads to date. Although this is a fictional story, I learned so much from Evelyn about life, love, relationships, and everything in between. She’s such a glamourous, charming, demure, and intelligent woman. She’s also imperfect, flawed… human. There were moments in this book where she may not have moved in the most favorable manner, but she did what she felt was most appropriate given the circumstances, which I find totally relatable. Navigating a career in old Hollywood during the 1950’s as a woman was already a tough experience within itself. But to take on such a career as a bisexual woman who originated from humble beginnings as the daughter of Cuban immigrants? Tough is probably an understatement.
Evelyn learned early on that you can’t play fair in an unfair world. She experienced poverty, abuse, and betrayal early on in life as an adolescent living in New York City. The way she persistently chose perseverance and resilience over stagnation and defeat, despite encountering a multitude of challenges is deeply admirable. Continuing to choose love and wisdom rather than becoming hardened by life is a challenge that many of us encounter and I believe many readers can learn a lot from the way Evelyn handled situations despite the circumstances.
Another piece that drew me into her character was the way she served as a guiding light to Monique. Monique was a New York journalist who had recently been left by her husband of less than one year for a position in San Francisco, California. Prior to meeting Evelyn, Monique struck me as passive, meek and easily compliant. As she continued to work and spend more time with Evelyn, she became increasingly active, assertive, and decisive in her relationship, career, and life in general. She’d learned a lot from Evelyn, and I believe the ultimate test for her was how she’d handle being provided with the untold story of one of Hollywood’s most iconic stars of all time, which would change her life forever.
Moving onto the seven marriages, I was surprised to see that each marriage was different. Initially I wondered if any part of the marriages would become repetitive, but as I read through, I noticed that no two marriages were the same. Each marriage revealed a different type of love, or lust. There was passion and pain, friendship and unconditionality. Some men only wanted to marry her because of her beauty and status, some only wanted to dominate and control her, and some truly loved her. Each experience highlighted a different set of dynamics and complexities that can develop throughout various relationships over time. And while her marriages showed the different ways in which you could love someone, they also revealed how you could turn a bad partnership into one that works in your favor. However, this part heavily depends on the readers mindset and perception of Evelyn’s character.
All in all, I’d say this was an amazing story. The stories, challenges and lessons in life, love and lust were feasibly relatable, in my opinion. The language fit the era in time in which the story took place and the author makes it easy for the reader to follow along. This book was everything I was looking for in a story about an iconic diva and lover girl such as Evelyn. Hands down, a great book for the divas to refer to for a lifetime.
Some of my favorite quotes from Evelyn:
- “…do yourself a favor and learn to grab life by the balls, dear. Don’t be so tied up trying to do the right thing when the smart thing is so painfully clear.” (pg. 30)
- “… When you’re given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The world doesn’t give things, you take things. If you learn one thing from me, it should probably be that.” (pg. 35)
- “People don’t find it very sympathetic or endearing, a woman who puts herself first.” (pg. 102)
- “Don’t ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box. Don’t do that… I have spent my entire life knowing the importance of allowing people to tell you who they are instead of reducing them to labels.” (pg. 123)
- “Never let anyone make you feel ordinary.” (pg. 207)
Curious for more? Indulge in the full story on amazon: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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