Narrated by Alma Cuervo, Julia Whelan, and Robin Miles.
Released 2ist September 2021 by Simon and Schuster Audio UK.
From the cover:
From the author of Daisy Jones & The Six in which a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a mesmerizing journey through the splendour of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means and what it costs to face the truth.
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Having had the pleasure to read Taylor Jenkins Reid's previous book Daisy Jones and the Six in 2019, and been blown away by the incredibly realistic characters and story she created in that book, I was really looking forward to immersing myself in this one - and it certainly fulfilled all my expectations... and so much more.
This is the fictional story of the aging Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo. Famous for her glittering career and her seven husbands, Evelyn has decided to finally tell all about her life and loves. The person she has chosen to write her memoir is Monique Grant an unknown magazine reporter, and this decision has proven to be something of a shock to Monique, and others in the world of journalism - but this is an offer too good to refuse.
As Evelyn tells her tale, covering her arrival in Hollywood in the 1950s; her rise to fame; the ruthless decisions she has taken along the way; her unexpected friendships; the truth behind her marriages; and the heartbreak behind her one true love affair, Monique begins to feel a connection with her. Something in Evelyn's unapologetic philosophy on life brings her own existence into sharp focus, allowing her to make some tough decisions about the direction of her career and the recent breakdown of her marriage - but she is also plagued by the suspicion that Evelyn has another agenda beyond wanting her to simply be the one to tell her story to the world... and she is not wrong. The truth behind their connection is one that Evelyn saves until the very last, and it is something that turns Monique's life upside-down...
As with Daisy Jones, Jenkins Reid creates characters in this book that are so convincingly authentic you are sure you must be reading about real people. This time around, instead of the rise and fall of a rock group, we are treated to a portrayal of an icon of the silver screen, Evelyn Hugo, getting into the nitty gritty of her life and loves - both under the spotlight, and behind the scenes of Tinsel Town. At so many points I found myself itching to Google pictures of Evelyn, her love interests, and the details of her movies!
The narratives swap between Monique, and the voices of Evelyn as a young woman and the older one recounting her life in the present day - each voiced by a different person, which serves to separate the two versions of Evelyn we come to know. Intriguingly, we are also treated to snippets of reports from the gossip mags in vogue from the 1950s onwards, which confirm bits and pieces about the way her life looked to those outside her private circle, and the effectiveness of the things she has had to do to advance her career and protect her image - and also to explore the relationship between a star and the media.
Jenkins Reid has clearly done her homework here, because she creates the world of 1950s Hollywood to perfection, describing the way movie studios operated and the incredible influence they had on the lives of their stars, and then takes us through the changing times with some fascinating insight into how fashion and attitudes change in Tinsel Town and the world at large - or more interestingly, stay the same. There are echoes of many different icons of stage and screen within these pages, including Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, and it's a lot of fun picking out the bits and pieces that reflect the real lives of some of these very famous women.
This is beautifully written and narrated, full of character driven storylines about a woman who has had to keep the heart-breaking truth about the real her hidden behind a glossy image for most of her life, and I absolutely loved every single spellbinding minute of it. Tara Jenkins Reid is such a talent and has now confirmed her place as one of my must-buy authors!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is available to buy now in print, ebook and audio formats.
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