The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is written by Taylor Jenkins Reid and follows a 79-year-old Hollywood icon who hires a young journalist, Monique Grant, to write her life story. Evelyn remembers her rise to fame, her seven marriages, and her long-term, hidden love affair with fellow actress Celia St. James, as she navigates the intense scrutiny and homophobia of Old Hollywood.
Evelyn looks at me with purpose. “Do you understand what I’m telling you? When you’re given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The world doesn’t give things, you take things. If you learn one thing from me, it should probably be that.” (p.35)
I chose this quotation because it was something that stood out to me while reading the book. This is one of those books that I have read countless times, and this quotation is one that I really love to read. The quotation is explaining that opportunities don’t mean anything if you don’t act on them, success isn’t something that is just handed to you, so you have to be willing to do what others won’t. If you want to change something in your life, you can’t just sit around and wait for it to happen; you have to take risks and push hard to ensure it comes true.