In all the books I have seen swirling around on ‘Booktok’, I must admit this is one which has stuck in my mind since I’ve bought it. Books on Booktok are much like Eurovision, you either love it or hate it. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a definite love.
I will admit that historical fiction was not a genre I had read much of and scrolling on social media and coming across books is always a hit or miss, but this novel stood out. My first thought upon seeing this book was ‘Seven husbands? A woman with seven husbands must have some secrets to spill’ and secrets to spill she did! The number of questions that were formed as I reached the end of chapter 2 completely fuelled my ambition to finish this book; I felt compelled to turn every single page. Not only was this book well written, it's also immensely clear - at no point did I ever have to turn back and reread a page because I didn’t understand something. Although the title seems very common (there’s ‘The Seven Ages of Death’ by Dr Richard Shepherd and ‘Secret Seven’ by Enid Blyton), the twists and turns of this novel are certainly ones which I have never come across before. Not to mention, the fact that these are the husbands of a Hollywood icon, you must salute the author for creating such a powerful woman. Seven different men and still classed as an icon? In the 1950s? What a power move.
5 years after this novel was published, I can say that it is worth all the attention. A woman living in a man’s world has to find her way around somehow and after seven husbands, and no information about how any of them ended or even started, Evelyn was more than just known. This novel is split into 7 sections, each more thrilling than the last. Some are shorter than others but once you finish the first section, you can’t just close the book and call it a night, there are too many questions that need answering, the most prominent one being, why Monique Grant? The ending of the book did not disappoint and the emotions that I experienced were much like the ones you get once you’ve finished eating a hot meal on a cold wintery day. A sense of contentment, happiness and pleasure.
No review could do this book as much justice as it deserves as no words can even begin to describe the complexity of Evelyn Hugo. Taylor Jenkins Reid has all my respect, as the way she managed to show ruthless ambition and compassion all in one is something not many can do. It’s almost like how Inspector Goole (from An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley) has an impression of massiveness about him. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is not just a one off book which I strongly recommend, it’s a book which can be read over and over again and gives the same sense of female empowerment each time.
