Quick Summary
Evelyn Hugo, a legendary Hollywood icon, recounts her tumultuous life and seven marriages to a young journalist, Monique Grant. Behind the dazzling facade of fame, Evelyn reveals a complex woman who navigated studio manipulation, public scrutiny, and profound personal sacrifices to protect her deepest secret: her enduring love for fellow actress Celia St. James. The narrative spans decades of Evelyn's career and relationships, including strategic marriages, devastating losses, and a shocking revelation about Monique's own father. Ultimately, Evelyn seeks to control her legacy and expose the truth of her bisexuality and true love, hoping to inspire authenticity and provide visibility for the LGBTQ+ community, even as she confronts her mortality.
Key Ideas
Evelyn Hugo's life was a series of strategic decisions to protect her career and secret love.
The narrative explores the sacrifices and compromises made for fame and acceptance in Hollywood.
Evelyn's true, enduring love was for Celia St. James, a relationship hidden from the public.
The story highlights themes of identity, sexuality, and the societal pressures faced by public figures.
Evelyn ultimately seeks to control her legacy and reveal her authentic self for a greater cause.
Early Career and Public Deception
Evelyn faces a public scandal with her first husband, Don, after a tabloid leak. She orchestrates a fake miscarriage to gain public sympathy. This leads to a deeper, intimate connection with Celia St. James, where they reveal their true identities and budding feelings. Evelyn confesses her true emotions, signaling a pivotal shift in her personal life and priorities.
Evelyn confesses that she no longer loves Don and only thinks about Celia, before packing her bags.
The Affair with Mick Riva
Evelyn’s career suffers due to Don’s sabotage while Celia’s rises. To deflect rumors about her and Celia, Evelyn strategically marries Mick Riva. She manipulates Mick, then orchestrates an annulment, successfully ending the speculation. However, Evelyn discovers she is pregnant with Mick's child, leading to a devastating abortion and Celia’s heartbroken departure, a decision Evelyn deeply regrets.
Evelyn confesses to Monique her deep regret over prioritizing her career and not begging Celia to stay.
Strategic Marriage to Rex North
Evelyn enters a transactional marriage with co-star Rex North for publicity, boosting their film and her career. They maintain separate lives, with Evelyn becoming Hollywood's highest-paid actress. When Rex falls in love, Evelyn orchestrates a public divorce, faking affairs, including one with Harry Cameron. This leads to Harry proposing a companionate marriage, solidifying a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Love and Family with Harry Cameron
Evelyn and Celia reconcile and establish a life with Harry and John, forming a tight-knit, supportive unit. They quietly fund the gay rights movement. Evelyn and Harry have a daughter, Connor. A controversial film project with her abusive ex, Don, causes a devastating rift with Celia, leading to their painful separation. Later, John dies, and Harry descends into alcoholism.
The Marriage to Max Girard
Evelyn marries Max Girard, but finds him in love with her public persona, not her true self. A reunion with Celia, who reveals a terminal illness, prompts Evelyn to leave Max. They devise a plan involving a fake affair and Evelyn marrying Celia's brother, Robert, to secure her inheritance. Tragedy strikes when Harry dies in a car accident, leading Evelyn to stage the scene to protect his legacy.
Life and Loss with Robert Jamison
Evelyn marries Robert Jamison for legal protection, and they move to Spain with Celia and a healing Connor. Evelyn and Celia live openly and share a spiritual marriage. After six years, Celia dies in Evelyn’s arms, followed by Robert years later. Connor also tragically succumbs to cancer, leaving Evelyn alone and reflecting on the emptiness of fame without family.
The two women exchanged hair ties as wedding rings and made heartfelt vows to one another.
Evelyn's Final Confessions
Evelyn reveals the devastating truth to Monique: she framed Monique’s father for Harry’s car crash to protect her family. She provides a blood-stained letter from him to Harry, revealing his love for Harry but commitment to his family. Evelyn then confesses her terminal breast cancer and her intention to end her life on her own terms, explaining her choice of Monique.
Monique's Reckoning and Legacy
Monique processes the shocking truth about her father. Inspired by Evelyn's choices, she reclaims her own life, filing for divorce from David. She decides to protect her mother from the painful truth of her father's affair and Evelyn's cover-up. Monique ultimately chooses to respect Evelyn’s final wish to control her death, finding a complex mix of hatred and admiration.
Obituary and Public Revelation
Evelyn Hugo's obituary reports her death at seventy-nine. Monique's subsequent article in Vivant reveals the ultimate truth: Evelyn was bisexual, and Celia St. James was the true love of her life. Monique explains Evelyn’s desire for this truth to promote LGBTQ+ visibility and authenticate her legacy, teasing her upcoming biography that will highlight Evelyn's wife over her seven husbands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Evelyn Hugo marry so many times?
Evelyn strategically married for various reasons: to escape her past, to gain publicity, to deflect rumors about her true love, or to protect her family and career. Each marriage served a specific, often calculated, purpose in her life.
Who was the true love of Evelyn Hugo's life?
Evelyn Hugo’s true love was fellow actress Celia St. James. Despite multiple marriages to men, Evelyn had a deep, enduring, and secret romantic relationship with Celia throughout much of her life.
Why did Evelyn Hugo choose Monique Grant to write her biography?
Evelyn chose Monique because of her writing talent, her compassionate article on the right to die, and a deeply personal reason connected to Monique's family history, which Evelyn reveals later in the book.
What was the significance of the "seven husbands" in the book?
The "seven husbands" were a public facade Evelyn maintained for her Hollywood career and personal protection. The book ultimately reveals that her marriages obscured the true narrative of her life and her love for Celia.
What message did Evelyn Hugo want to convey through her biography?
Evelyn wanted to convey the truth of her bisexuality, provide visibility for the LGBTQ+ community, and share her deep regrets about prioritizing fame over love. She sought to be authentic in her final legacy.