Chapter 67 Summary – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Monique arrives home exhausted and angry after her latest meeting with Evelyn Hugo. She tosses her bag onto the couch, kicks off her shoes, and rests her feet on the coffee table. That action makes her realize the table is back—David returned it. An envelope lies on top, addressed to her. Inside, David writes that he should never have taken the table, that he was being petty, and he encloses his apartment key and his lawyer’s business card. He thanks Monique for doing what he could not. Monique reads the letter, then settles back and breathes. She mentally catalogs the ways Evelyn Hugo changed her life: without Evelyn, Monique would not have ended her marriage, stood up to Frankie, written a surefire bestseller, or understood the true depths of her father’s devotion. Consequently, Monique decides that Evelyn is wrong to call Monique’s hate “uncomplicated.”
Key Events
- Monique returns to her apartment, physically and emotionally drained.
- She notices David has returned the coffee table, left an envelope with a key and a lawyer’s business card.
- David’s letter admits he was petty to take the table and thanks Monique for doing what he could not.
- Monique reads the letter and then sits quietly.
- She reflects on four major ways Evelyn Hugo has impacted her life.
- She concludes that Evelyn’s assessment of Monique’s hate is incorrect.
Character Development
Monique Grant – Monique moves from the anger and exhaustion she felt after Chapter 66 into a moment of quiet reckoning. She is not yet healed, but she is willing to consider the possibility that Evelyn gave her more than pain. Monique’s decision to credit Evelyn with pivotal life changes shows her capacity for nuance—she can hold both gratitude and sorrow. This moment also signals a shift from being a passive recipient of Evelyn’s story to actively reinterpreting it on her own terms.
David – Although David appears only through his letter, his character arc reaches closure. He acknowledges his pettiness and thanks Monique for ending the marriage in a way he could not. This act of returning the key and the coffee table suggests he is ready to move on and respects Monique’s decision.
Evelyn Hugo – Evelyn is not physically present, but her influence dominates Monique’s thoughts. The novel continues to show Evelyn as a catalyst for profound change in Monique’s life, reinforcing the idea that their relationship—though fraught—was transformative.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
Gratitude and Anger – Monique balances her justified anger at Evelyn (for the years of secrets and the final revelation) with a real sense of gratitude. The chapter argues that complex relationships cannot be reduced to a single emotion.
Objects as Emotional Anchors – The coffee table that David returns symbolizes the broken marriage and the material traces of a relationship. Its return—along with the key—signifies closure. Monique’s instinctive use of it as a footrest shows she is reclaiming the space.
The Complexity of Hate – Monique directly counters Evelyn’s earlier claim that Monique’s hate is “uncomplicated.” The chapter title (67) and Monique’s final thought reframe hate as something layered with love, gratitude, and understanding.
Why This Chapter Matters
This short chapter serves as a turning point in Monique’s internal narrative. She moves from passive listener to active interpreter of Evelyn’s story. By acknowledging Evelyn’s positive impacts, Monique prepares herself to finish the biography with emotional clarity—and to take ownership of the book that will be her surefire bestseller. The chapter also provides a definitive emotional closure for David, freeing Monique from the last physical thread of that marriage. It sets up the final chapters of the novel, where Monique must decide how to present Evelyn’s story to the world and what her own future holds.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does David’s letter reveal about his state of mind at the end of the marriage?
David writes that he was “petty” when he took the coffee table and that he thanks Monique “for doing what I could not.” This suggests he was unable to initiate the divorce himself and may have been relieved that Monique made the decision. He is now ready to move on, as shown by returning the key.
2. How does Monique’s reflection challenge Evelyn’s opinion of Monique’s feelings?
Evelyn earlier told Monique that her hate was “uncomplicated” (a pure, simple hate). Monique counters that she would not have ended her marriage, confronted Frankie, written a bestseller, or understood her father without Evelyn. Monique’s hate, therefore, is mixed with gratitude, making it layered and complex.
3. Why does Monique think Evelyn helped her understand her father’s devotion?
Through Evelyn’s stories about her own family and her father’s sacrifices, Monique gained perspective on the quiet, selfless love her father showed her. Evelyn’s narrative served as a mirror, helping Monique recognize the depth of her father’s commitment, which she had previously taken for granted or misunderstood.
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