Published in 2017, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a work of historical fiction about Old Hollywood film legend Evelyn Hugo and her decades-long secret relationship with a fellow actress. The novel spotlights the struggles of gay and bisexual Hollywood stars from the 1920s through the gay rights movements of the 1960s and into the 21st century. It highlights the necessity of so-called “lavender marriages,” heterosexual marriages that hid the queer identity of one or both parties. Slated to be adapted into a Netflix film, the novel rocketed to the top of bestseller lists in 2022 after becoming popular on TikTok.

Summary

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Characters

See a complete list of the characters in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and in-depth analyses of Evelyn Hugo, Celia St. James, Harry Cameron, and more.

Literary Devices

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Quotes

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