The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2017

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Chapters 1-4Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 1 Summary

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses anti-gay bias, racism, domestic abuse, miscarriage, and suicide.

Frankie calls Monique into her office and tells her that Evelyn Hugo, a movie star from the 1960s, is ready to be interviewed about her life—and she has requested Monique. Though intimidated and confused, Monique is excited about the opportunity to make a name for herself. Monique, who has a Black father and a white mother, admits that one of the reasons she took the job at the New York magazine Vivant is because Frankie is a Black woman: “[T]here is something very inspiring about having a black woman running things. […] Frankie makes me feel more sure that I can one day run things, too.” (3).

Chapter 2 Summary

Monique researches Evelyn and learns about her seven marriages, her tumultuous career, and the scandals and glamor surrounding both. She is fascinated by Evelyn, a welcome distraction from her very recent separation from her husband, David.

Chapter 3 Summary

Monique is greeted by Evelyn’s assistant, Grace, at Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment. Grace eases Monique’s anxiety about meeting Evelyn, whom she describes as a kind and generous employer. When Evelyn descends the staircase, Monique finds herself breathless; Evelyn, at 70, is graceful and ageless. Evelyn invites Monique into the living room and quickly reveals that she invited Monique “under false pretenses” (21); she has no intention of giving an interview to Vivant. Instead, Evelyn wants Monique to write a tell-all book about Evelyn’s life. Stunned and perplexed, Monique spills her cup of coffee across the white carpet. When Grace comes in to clean up the mess, Evelyn insists that they finish this discussion over lunch.

At a nearby restaurant, Evelyn reveals that this book will convey the full truth of her life, will be entirely Monique’s to author and profit from, and it will be released once Evelyn is dead. Irritated by Monique’s increased confusion, Evelyn clarifies that she is not “confessing any sins” (25), that she doesn’t regret any choice she’s made, and just wants to tell the world the truth about herself. Despite the financial and professional success that Evelyn’s biographer promises, Monique is unsure; she could lose her job at Vivant for poaching a story from them. Mostly, she wonders why Evelyn, one of the most successful and beloved actresses in history, would trust her life story to an unknown journalist. At the end of their meeting, Monique decides her ambitions are stronger than her fears and accepts Evelyn’s offer.

Chapter 4 Summary

Back at Evelyn’s home, Monique considers calling Frankie. She’s nervous and unsure of whether to lie or be honest and risk losing her job. For guidance, she thinks of her father, who would breathe with her when she was scared or overwhelmed. When Monique speaks with Frankie, she is intentionally vague, claiming that Evelyn is being unforthcoming about what this piece will look like.

Monique meets Evelyn in her study and nervously says that she is “not a biographer” (35); Evelyn describes how she took every opportunity to escape poverty, no matter what that opportunity was. Monique accepts the advice and approaches the conversation as a biographer, deciding the book will answer the question overwhelmingly surrounding the starlet: “Who was the love of Evelyn’s life?” (36). Monique assumed it was Harry, who Evelyn had spent decades and had a daughter with, but Evelyn clarifies that Harry was her best friend and loved her unconditionally but was not the love of her life. Evelyn decides that she’s not ready to answer that question just yet, so she asks Monique to come back on Monday.

Chapters 1-4 Analysis

Chapter 1 introduces one of the main protagonists, Monique, by centering the narrative around the topic of identity. Monique, who is insecure but determined, reveals that she chose to work at Vivant partly because her boss is a Black woman; and Monique, as a biracial woman, liked to see a part of herself represented in a position of power. The chapter also foreshadows Monique’s possible connection to Evelyn: As Frankie tries to understand why Evelyn would want to speak with their most junior reporter, Monique reveals that her father worked as a photographer in Hollywood, and he might have worked with Evelyn in the past. Their conversation also highlights Monique’s ambitious and tenacious spirit; she challenges Frankie by pointing out that Evelyn wants Monique, so Frankie has no choice. Additionally, Monique’s desire to be known and to change the world is what pushes her to step out of her comfort zone and face her fears.

Chapter 2 works to increase the mystery and intrigue surrounding Evelyn. An online news article that describes Evelyn’s upcoming article and only focuses on Evelyn’s legacy as a sex symbol introduces the theme of The Oversexualization and Commodification of Women’s Bodies. Despite her prolific career as an actress and activist, everyone—including Monique—is obsessed with her beauty, body, and love life. Monique’s research revolves around Evelyn’s seven marriages because that is what is mostly available to her. Furthermore, Monique’s research suggests that Evelyn’s public persona is crafted to leave “you hoping you’ll get just a little bit more” (16). This alludes to Evelyn’s mysterious life as intentional but also emphasizes how difficult Monique expects this process to be.

Rather than demystifying the enigma that is Evelyn, Monique’s first meeting with her in Chapters 3 and 4 creates more questions than answers. First, Evelyn’s revelation that she is seeking a book, not a magazine cover, gives Monique enough pause to consider what Evelyn could hope to gain from a book she wants no money from and insists must be released after her death. Evelyn’s answer introduces another core theme; in revealing that she has spent so long “spin[ning] the truth” that telling the truth “feels antithetical” to her survival (37), Evelyn touches upon the difficulty of Reconciling with One’s True Self. This revelation, then, centers the narrative on the search—or the acceptance—of truth. Evelyn’s character is well-positioned for exploring this because her entire identity, due to the nature of stardom, is contradictory; everyone feels they know her without knowing her at all, and, similarly, the world feels entitled to her story.

The very little Evelyn reveals to Monique proves that the world knows only what Evelyn has chosen to portray, that her life is a finely-spun narrative. Therefore, these chapters emphasize the allure of false perceptions while increasing the shroud of mystery around Evelyn. As Evelyn becomes more enigmatic, Monique’s motivations become clearer. At the end of Chapter 3, Monique’s prioritization of her professional goals is demonstrated through her willingness to overcome her anxieties to achieve her ambitions: “I did it because I want to climb the ladder as high as I possibly can” (31). At the beginning of Chapter 4, Monique’s connection to her father is represented by the implementation of his lessons in a time of moral crisis; as she grapples with the cost of her professional advancement, she finds strength in his memory. Her sense of self is partially derived from her memories of her father, and the story continues to allude to him playing a key role in the narrative.