Meghan Markle’s children’s book The Bench failed to make a mark on the US bestseller list, reaching a relatively unimpressive number 100 on Amazon, having been widely slated by critics in the UK.
The debut book by the Duchess of Sussex, 39, was inspired by a poem she wrote for Prince Harry’s first Father’s Day the month after Archie was born, and explores the ‘special bond between father and son’ as ‘seen through a mother’s eyes’.
However readers on both side of the pond were left very unimpressed by the $18.99 tome, with one children’s librarian in the US slamming it as having ‘no characters, no fun, no adventure’.
‘I’m a children’s librarian, and I’m chagrined this book will now be part of our library. It is not a book for children,’ the person wrote, before opining that the book was only ever published because of Meghan’s celebrity status.
Lackluster: Meghan Markle’s debut children’s book The Bench was widely slammed by readers in the US, where it failed to reach higher than number 100 on the Amazon bestseller list
Under fire: The 39-year-old mother-of-two’s book was branded ‘bland’, ‘shallow’ and ‘uninspired’ – while it also received very negative reviews in the UK
They went on: ‘It’s barely a book at all actually, just a set of poorly-rhyming platitudes on how to parent. I would be shocked if anyone gave this 5 stars if the author was an anonymous person (actually, the book wouldn’t have gotten published at all).
‘It distresses me that Meghan (excuse me, “the duchess”) reportedly received a half-million dollar advance for this drivel, when there are so many well-deserving authors who struggle to make ends meet. Please, try their works out instead. If you need help, your local library would be delighted to offer suggestions.’
Failing to make a mark: As of 2pm ET, the book was sitting in 100th place on Amazon’s list of bestselling books, although it did reach number one on the list of ‘Children’s Black & African American Story Books’
The review was one of several one-star critiques posted by readers in America – many of which echoed the negative feedback the book received in the UK when it was released there just hours earlier.
However, the book managed to climb to number 40 on Amazon’s British bestseller list, while in the US, it languished in the number 100 spot – although it was named as the top seller in the retailer’s list of ‘Children’s Black & African American Story Books’.
No major US media outlet included an official review of the book in its coverage.
There was plenty of criticism posted online however, with many Amazon users expressing extreme disappointment in its ‘bland’ and ‘uninspired’ storyline.
‘Boring preachy storyline and lackluster illustrations. Ms Markle is not a children’s author,’ one person commented.
It is not known if Meghan has received an advance for the book – which is published by Random House – and whether any of the proceeds will be donated to charity, but a branding expert previously suggested it would have already netted her more than $500,000 following a ‘bidding war to secure her first venture’.
Professional opinion: One Amazon user who said they are a children’s librarian hit out at The Bench for having ‘no characters, no fun, no adventure’ and said it was ‘not a book for children’
Unimpressive: Others criticized the ‘boring and preachy’ storyline, while some suggested it contained grammatical errors
Ironic? Some people called Meghan out for writing a book about the bond between a father and his child when she is estranged from her own dad, Thomas Markle
Meghan dedicated the book to Prince Harry and Archie, saying they make her heart go ‘pump-pump’, and wrote alongside a picture of a father and son playing with toy dinosaurs: ‘When life feels in shambles, you’ll help him find order.’
But some readers called out the mother-of-two for penning a book about the bond between a father and his child when she is estranged from her own dad, Thomas Markle.
‘This book is bland,’ the person said. ‘No characters, no story, no substance. Shallow like the author. I guess it makes sense as she ghosted her own father. Two thumbs down.’
Another added: ‘Ugh. She hates her father and has alienated Harry from his and she writes [a] kids book about fatherhood?’
Some people also cautioned readers about the book’s ‘unsuitability’ for children, with one person insisting that ‘the average child’ will not be able to understand its meaning.
‘It’s a nice poem but it’s not at all suitable for the age range it’s being advertised for,’ the person wrote on Amazon.
‘The average child won’t appreciate or understand this. It would be a better gift for someone who’s a father rather than gifting this to a child. It’s also very expensive considering the value for money derived. It’s incredibly short.’
Some readers did speak out in defense of the book however, with one ‘elementary school librarian’ describing it as ‘absolutely lovely’.
‘I’m an elementary school librarian and we already had a waiting list to check this book out before it was even released,’ the person wrote.
‘I’ve received my persona copies and it is indeed a sweet touching tribute to the power of father/son connection. Easily readable and great illustration.’
Another said The Bench is ‘beautifully written and illustrated’ – praise that was very much at odds with the book’s critical reception in the UK, where reviewers panned the book.
The Telegraph’s Claire Allfree called The Bench ‘semi-literate’, writing: ‘One wonders how any publisher could have thought fit to publish this grammar-defying set of badly rhyming cod homilies, let alone think any child anywhere would want to read it. But that’s planet Sussex for you, where even the business of raising a family is all about the brand.’
Following suit: British readers were also quick to slam the tome, sharing their negative critiques on Amazon’s UK site
She continued: ‘The Duchess’s first children’s book is all bland parenting ‘wisdom’ and no story – and it’s hard to imagine any child enjoying it.’
She said it appeared to show ‘Harry’s role in this marriage is to sit on his bench holding the baby while Meghan gets on and conquers the world’.
The Evening Standard’s Emily Phillips said the writing was ‘loving and soothing’ but also ‘schmaltzy’, writing: ‘The closing line with its abridged ‘lone doesn’t read so well in an English accent as it might do in American, but the sentiment of togetherness does.
‘I for one am looking forward to reading what Meghan has in store for Lil Diana.’
The Times’ Alex Connell described it as a ‘self-help manual for needy parents’, adding: ‘The story [is] so lacking in action and jeopardy you half wonder if the writing job was delegated to a piece of furniture…’
Meanwhile British readers widely panned the book online and questioned the grammar within the work.
Posting a one star review on Amazon, one person commented: ‘We didn’t enjoy this book at all – I have no idea why the author thought this story would appeal to children. It’s incredibly boring and uninspiring.
‘Clearly based on the author’s life, it would have perhaps been better as a private project kept within the family that they can read themselves, and then treasure in the future. For anyone else, it’s just completely irrelevant. The grammar is also questionable at times. Absolutely do not recommend.’
Another wrote: ‘Not really engaging. Apart from the bad grammar, my grandson, who is 3 years old, was not at all engaged when reading this book together. Will stick to The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Very disappointed.’
Scenes in the book include several illustrations of Prince Harry and son Archie – including one feeding their chickens while the duchess is in the garden with her dogs and their newborn daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
In one of the last images featured in the book Prince Harry, recognizable with his ginger hair and beard, sits on a bench feeding his rescue chickens, which the couple house at their $14 million mansion in Montecito.
As well as the chickens – which appeared during the broadcast of the couple’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March – two dogs also feature in the illustration.
Paintings of Prince Harry are depicted throughout the book, which some critics described as being ‘unavoidably personal’
Another illustration in the book shows Harry sitting on a bench while holding a newborn baby while the Sussexes’ two dogs perched on the ground
Home life: There is also an illustration that shows Harry and Archie feeding the chickens while Meghan is seen tending the garden
On the other side of the pond: In the UK, the book reached number 40 in the bestseller list, and it was named the number one seller in ‘Fiction About Emotions & Feeling for Children’
The duke and duchess also have two dogs – a black Labrador named Pula and a beagle named Guy.
He appears alongside his son Archie, two, who is captured sprinkling food for the three animals while staring adoringly at this father.
Meanwhile, Meghan, dressed in a summer’s hat, white T-shirt and jeans, appears to be sketched in a vegetable patch located near her husband and son. The mother-of-two cradles her daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, who arrived on Friday.
The first illustration features a bearded ginger father – who bears a resemblance to the duke – cradling a smiling baby on a bench under a tree.
The text reads: ‘This is your bench, where life will begin, for you and our son, our baby, our kin.’
Further into the book a black father lies asleep on a bench holding his son closely. The boy sweetly clutches a toy giraffe in one hand while holding his father’s hand in the other.
The text reads: ‘From here you will rest, see the growth of our boy.’
In another illustration, a father and son duo each wear pink tutus while performing ballet poses.
The accompanying words read: ‘You’ll love him. You’ll listen. You’ll be his supporter.’
The duchess also makes an apparent reference to the popular 1964 children’s book The Giving Tree from author Shel Silverstein.
To accompany an illustration of a father and son sharing lunch on a park bench, Meghan wrote: ‘You’ll sit on his bench, as his giving tree.’
The Duchess announced last month that she was releasing a book, revealing that it was inspired by a poem she had written for Harry on Father’s Day the month after Archie was born
Meghan’s Pilates instructor and friend Heather Dorak was sent a copy, with a penned note from the former-actress reading: ‘From one momma to another – for the love of our boys’
The Duchess of Sussex also sent a copy of her children’s book to a Hollywood friend, photographer pal Gray Malin, with a personal note ahead of its release
Another page is illustrated with the words: ‘He’ll feel happiness, sorrow, one day be heartbroken. You’ll tell him ‘I love you,’ those words always spoken.’
A father using a wheelchair also features in The Bench.
He is drawn fixing his son’s shoes alongside the text: ‘This is your bench, for papa and son.’
It continues on the next page alongside a father and son wearing turbans: ‘To celebrate joys and victories won.’
The Prince of Wales memorably remembered his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, as ‘dear papa’ following his death in April.
One illustration from the book is accompanied by the words: ‘Looking out at my love and our beautiful boy. And here in the window I’ll have tears of great joy…’
The picture shows a weeping woman watching through a ground floor window as a soldier, in army combat uniform, throws his son in the air, apparently having returned home.
Over the final pages, the passage reads: ‘Right there on your bench, the place you’ll call home… With daddy and son… Where you’ll never be ‘lone.’
Meghan dedicated her 34-page illustrated story to Prince Harry and son Archie, saying they make her heart go ‘pump-pump.’
The touching inscription in the book, reproduced from a hand-written note in the Duchess of Sussex’s distinctive calligraphy script, reads: ‘For the man and the boy who make my heart go pump-pump.’
Meghan has gifted copies of The Bench to her Hollywood friends, with photographer pal Gray Malin, from Los Angeles, promoting the book to his 35,400 followers on Instagram on Friday, sharing a clip as he opened the first page to reveal an unseen illustration of Prince Harry and Archie.
The duchess’ Pilates instructor and friend Heather Dorak was also sent a copy, with a penned note from the former-actress reading: ‘From one momma to another – for the love of our boys.’
The Duchess had also penned a note to Gray on the first page of the book, writing: ‘From one parent to another – all my love from my family to yours. As ever, Meghan.’
It’s far from the first time that Meghan’s friends have promoted one of her post-Megxit projects for her. In December, Oprah Winfrey shared a basket of coffee latte treats from a brand the Duchess had invested in with her 19 million followers.
Elsewhere, the first illustration in the book is also one of Prince Harry and baby Archie walking hand-in-hand together. The Duke could be seen wearing a grey polo shirt and blue jeans. The royal has been seen wearing a similar outfit while out and about in Los Angeles with Meghan, as well as during his time as a royal.
In one illustration in The Bench, a red-headed soldier wearing an American-style Army cap is seen holding his young son aloft as a woman watches on crying from a window (pictured)
Another image features a father with his baby boy sleeping on a lounger outside. A media release said the book featured a ‘diverse group of fathers and sons’
Meanwhile the Duke’s illustration is seen looking down at his son, who is wearing a green top and blue shorts in the picture.
The children’s book is illustrated by bestselling Californian artist Christian Robinson, who was brought up by his grandmother in a one-bedroom flat also shared with his brother, two cousins and aunt.
A publicity release said Meghan, who chose to use her title on the cover of the book, wanted the story to be told through an ‘inclusive lens’ and will feature a ‘diverse group of father and sons’. Meghan will also narrate the audiobook costing $4.99 – which together with the hardback version could earn her millions from sales.
The royal, who went by the pen name ‘Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex’, said in a statement: ‘The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born.
‘That poem became this story. Christian layered in beautiful and ethereal watercolor illustrations that capture the warmth, joy, and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life; this representation was particularly important to me, and Christian and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens.
‘My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine.’
Popular culture expert Nick Ede told MailOnline that the Duchess of Sussex would have likely been paid between a £250,000 to £500,000 advance to write the book.
In authoring a children’s book she follows in the footsteps of fellow Royals Sarah, the Duchess of York, who has produced her own money-spinning series, Princess Michael of Kent and even Prince Charles, who penned a children’s book called The Old Man of Lochnagar in 1980 to raise money for the Children’s Trust.
It comes weeks after Kate Middleton’s photography contest book Hold Still instantly topped the bestseller list on the day of its release
Kate’s book remains on the list and is currently ranked at number 113
Sources had Vanity Fair’s Katie Nicholl Meghan plans to write more books in the future, revealing: ‘She wanted to have a go at writing a children’s book first and depending on the success of this, there will be more. She is also keen to write books for adults too.’
However speaking to True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat, Angela Levin – author of Harry: Conversations with the Prince – said the subject matter of Meghan’s tale is ‘not interesting’ to children.
‘Children’s books are directed at children. They like elephants, they like nasty tigers. They do not want a lecture about how different your relationship is with your father, whatever level of society you are at,’ she claimed.
It comes weeks after Kate Middleton’s photography contest book Hold Still instantly soared to the top of the bestseller list on the day of its release, becoming the second highest-selling book out of all titles on Amazon.
The mother-of-three, a keen photographer, started her campaign during the first lockdown last year to ask the public to submit images which captured the period and the result is Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020, features 100 final ‘poignant and personal’ portraits selected from 31,000 entrants.
Kate’s book remains on the list and is currently ranked at 113 in overall bestsellers.