The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2017

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Chapters 66-69Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 66 Summary

When Monique assumes that Evelyn only requested her to make amends, Evelyn argues that she’d found her right-to-die piece and knew she could tell a complicated story intelligently and empathetically. Evelyn knows that she cannot make up for what she’s done and lets Monique decide what to do with her story. Though Monique hates her, she still wants to write the book. Evelyn reveals that she has breast cancer, so Monique can release the book soon.

Chapter 67 Summary

When Monique gets home, she finds the coffee table that David took. On it, is a letter from David apologizing for taking it and thanking her for being strong enough to end their marriage. Monique realizes that without Evelyn, she would have never ended her marriage, stood up to her boss, written a best seller, or learned about the “true depths of [her] father’s devotion” (370).

Chapter 68 Summary

At Evelyn’s photoshoot, Monique is overwhelmed by how commanding Evelyn’s presence is in front of the camera. She finds herself captivated despite her hate. After the photoshoot, Monique says goodbye to Grace. Evelyn had surprised her assistant with a vacation that leaves immediately. Monique suddenly understands what Evelyn’s plan is: “she wants to die now” (375). Monique keeps her suspicions to herself as Evelyn gives a heartfelt goodbye.

Chapter 69 Summary

Monique heads to meet her mother and wonders if she should stop Evelyn from dying by suicide. Two trains pass and she doesn’t get on, frozen by her moral dilemma. Finally, a third train approaches and Monique moves forward; Evelyn deserves to die with dignity. When she sees her mother, Monique cries in her arms. Now, she wonders if she should tell her mother the truth. She asks about their marriage, and her mother is truthful: It wasn’t passionate, but it was profoundly intimate. Monique decides to not tell her—at least not yet. She doesn’t know yet if she’ll tell the whole truth about her father’s death in Evelyn’s biography, she just knows that she’ll do what’s best for her mother. At age 79, Evelyn dies from an accidental overdose in her home. In June, Monique releases an excerpt from her book. In it, she describes Evelyn’s search for truth and, most importantly, informs the world about Evelyn’s wife, Celia.

Chapters 66-69 Analysis

Chapters 66 and 67 demonstrate how the two women have impacted one another’s lives. Monique’s life, most obviously, was rerouted by Evelyn’s decision. Evelyn’s life is changed too by Monique; her right-to-die piece teaches Evelyn that morally complex issues can be productively explored. Evelyn’s interest also foreshadows her impending death from breast cancer—throughout the narrative, Evelyn has assured Monique that she won’t be around much longer, but the mention of Monique’s article suggests Evelyn’s interest in choosing her own death. Chapter 67 rubberstamps Evelyn’s lasting impact on Monique’s life. This is explored through the return of the coffee table; its presence reminds Monique of forgiveness and that Evelyn has empowered her in ways no one else has. This effectively implies the very complicated relationship Monique will always have with her subject.

Chapter 68 shows the effect of Evelyn for the first time from the outside; despite her hate, Monique cannot help but be drawn to the starlet. She describes this as “it,” but Evelyn’s allure is emblematic of her charisma and awareness of her own power. The chapter touches upon Evelyn’s plans; Monique’s realization that Evelyn is making arrangements for her death and subsequent silence is incredibly significant. At that moment, Monique lets her keep her agency without judgment.

Chapter 69 explores the moral conundrum Monique faces: whether she is honor-bound to interfere with Evelyn’s suicide, or whether she should respect Evelyn’s right to die with dignity. Monique’s refusal to stop Evelyn represents her ability to respect Evelyn’s wishes, even if she hates her. The chapter ends with Monique finding strength in her family; she follows Evelyn’s example and chooses family over truth and is comforted by the memory of her father. This suggests that Monique has indeed learned from Evelyn’s mistakes; the people she loves are the most important thing in the world. Monique’s article honors Evelyn’s legacy by telling her story. In acknowledging Evelyn as admirable but also as “a liar and a cheat” (384), Monique presents Evelyn just as she wanted to be known: authentically.