Summary
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid unfolds the career, scandals, and secrets of a movie star during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Spanning the 1950s through the late 1980s, the story follows Evelyn Hugo, an aging and reclusive screen icon who agrees to share her life story with a young journalist, Monique Grant. Through their interviews, the novel opens a window into Evelyn’s shrouded past, highly publicized marriages, driving ambitions, and true love. Throughout, the novel explores the compromises and personal sacrifices that come with the quest for fame.
Plot
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo follows the life of Evelyn Hugo, a movie legend from Hollywood’s Golden Age, as recounted by biographer Monique Grant. Divided into seven chapters, the story spans decades, from the 1950s through the 1980s, detailing Evelyn's rise from Hell’s Kitchen to Hollywood fame while recounting her seven marriages. Starting with her first marriage, which provides an escape from poverty and begins her acting career, her seven marriages mark key moments in her life. As Evelyn reveals, each marriage was motivated by a strategic move in a male-dominated industry rather than romance.
A key part of Evelyn’s life is her hidden relationship with actress Celia St. James. Harry Cameron, her fifth husband and trusted confidant, plays a crucial role by sharing in Evelyn's secretive life while managing secrets of his own. Together, they face Hollywood's challenges under scrutiny.
The story climaxes with a revelation about Monique's father, who is connected to Evelyn’s past decisions. This event exposes the impact of Evelyn’s ambitions on her life. Evelyn’s decision to share her story with Monique underscores her journey to self-awareness, encouraging reflections on identity and legacy.
Characters
Evelyn Hugo: A Hollywood icon, Evelyn navigates the film industry strategically. Known for her beauty and her publicity-driven marriages, she reveals her true self only to a select few.
Monique Grant: An inexperienced journalist chosen by Evelyn to write her biography. As Monique uncovers Evelyn's secrets, she experiences a personal transformation and professional empowerment.
Celia St. James: Evelyn's true love and an accomplished actress. Their relationship explores love and acceptance within societal constraints.
Harry Cameron: Evelyn’s fifth husband and her long-standing ally. Challenging conventional marriage norms, their relationship provides genuine companionship.
Ernie Diaz: Evelyn’s first husband, whom she marries at age 14. Ernie offers her an escape from a difficult upbringing and sets the stage for her Hollywood ambitions.
Don Adler: Evelyn’s second husband, a Hollywood actor. Initially charming, Don maintains an image that masks his deep-seated insecurities. His abusive behavior seals the end of their marriage.
Mick Riva: Evelyn’s third husband, a singer. Their brief marriage, orchestrated for media attention, shows Evelyn's skill in manipulating public narratives.
Rex North: Evelyn’s fourth husband and her partner in a strategic, non-romantic marriage that focuses on career advancement.
Max Girard: Evelyn’s sixth husband, a director. Attracted to Evelyn’s image, Max reflects Hollywood's superficial allure and the commentary on celebrity culture.
Robert Jamison: Evelyn’s seventh and final husband, and the brother of Celia. Protecting the secret of her enduring love for Cecilia, Robert secures Evelyn’s legacy.
Themes
Hollywood's glamour versus reality
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo depicts Hollywood's Golden Age, contrasting its allure with the hidden struggles of its stars. Evelyn Hugo moves from poverty to fame, similar to figures like Marilyn Monroe. Her beauty drives her success, but personal sacrifices accompany her rise to fame. The public follows the sensational stories of Evelyn's seven husbands, seeing her life as a series of escapades. In reality, her marriages often serve to advance her career and hide her true self, including her deep love for Celia St. James. Through Evelyn’s story, Taylor Jenkins Reid shows how Hollywood commodifies stars for publicity and profit, capturing the emotional cost of fame and the pressures of public scrutiny.
Femininity, sexuality, and power dynamics
Evelyn Hugo's career in Hollywood explores connections between femininity, sexuality, and power. Raised in poverty, Evelyn uses her beauty and sexual appeal to navigate a male- dominated industry. Early in her career, Evelyn strategically uses her appearance to secure roles, such as when she persuades Ari Sullivan at Sunset Studios to cast her in Little Women. This suggests limited options for women to achieve influence in such power structures.
The story develops by contrasting Evelyn's public and private lives to highlight complex power dynamics. She is both objectified and celebrated for her beauty, while the narrative stresses her strategic skill. This indicates restrictive gender roles imposed on women. The novel examines these roles through Evelyn's experiences, showing how she manipulates and is constrained by a patriarchal system. Her approach points to the simultaneous empowerment and exploitation present in these dynamics, challenging traditional views on femininity and strength.
Sexuality, gender identity, and secrecy
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo addresses LGBTQIA+ themes, focusing on Evelyn Hugo's bisexuality and her relationship with Celia St. James. Evelyn and Celia's relationship forms the emotional heart of the novel. They navigate secrecy and profound affection despite rigid heteronormative norms. Reid captures the tension between their public personas and private identities. Celia struggles to understand Evelyn's bisexuality, which Evelyn describes as having "two sides." The novel also places Evelyn's experiences within a broader cultural context, depicting the fear and repercussions of being openly queer in mid-20th-century Hollywood. Historical moments like the Stonewall Riots influence characters' journeys. Evelyn and Harry find solace and identity in the larger queer community. Reid explores these themes, addressing Evelyn and Celia's love and their quest for authenticity amid societal pressures.
Quick facts
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was published in 2017 and became a New York Times bestseller.
Evelyn Hugo's character is inspired by real-life Hollywood legends such as Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, and Rita Hayworth.
The narrative is structured around Evelyn Hugo recounting her life and seven marriages to journalist Monique Grant.
Each of Evelyn's seven husbands represents different phases and strategic decisions in her life to advance her fame and manage her image.
Evelyn's true love was Celia St. James, highlighting LGBTQ+ themes and the societal challenges of mid-20th century America.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo uniquely combines traditional storytelling with fictional newspaper clippings to enhance realism and suspense.
A significant twist connects the journalist Monique Grant to Evelyn's past.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo explores themes of bisexuality, racial and queer identities, misogyny, and sexism.
The novel features characters from other books in Taylor Jenkins Reid's literary universe, including Mick Riva from Malibu Rising.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo gained viral popularity on BookTok.
This audiobook features a multi-voice performance with narrators Alma Cuervo, Julia Whelan, and Robin Miles.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is being adapted into a Netflix feature film.
Film adaptation
Netflix announced plans in March 2022 to adapt The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo into a feature film. Maggie Betts will direct the project, and Liz Tigelaar, known for work on Little Fires Everywhere, will write the script. Taylor Jenkins Reid will serve as executive producer. As of July 2025, casting details remain undisclosed.
About the author
Taylor Jenkins Reid (1983-) is a New York Times bestselling author known for her works of contemporary and historical fiction driven by complex women and exploring the toll of fame. Born in Maryland and raised in Massachusetts, she majored in media studies at Emerson College in Boston. After graduating from college, she moved to Los Angeles and launched her career in film and television production. She signed with her first literary agent at age 24, and published her first novel, Forever, Interrupted, in 2013. In 2017, Reid gained critical acclaim and national recognition with her third novel and first work of historical fiction, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, revealing the life, loves, and secrets of a movie legend from Hollywood’s Golden Age. She followed its success with Daisy Jones & The Six (2019), a chronicle of a fictional 1970s rock band; Malibu Rising (2021), focusing on the neglected adult children of a famous crooner; and Carrie Soto Is Back (2022), following a tennis star who leaves retirement to reclaim her Grand Slam record. Her ninth novel, Atmosphere (2025), tells a love story of two fictional NASA astronauts during the 1980s Space Shuttle program.
