Meghan Markle's Children's Book 'The Bench' Reaches No. 5 On Amazon Bestsellers List Despite Mixed Reviews From Critics
Meghan Markle's new children's book, The Bench, was released on Tuesday, June 8, and didn't crack the bestseller's list in the U.K., but one day later, the book reached number five on the Amazon bestsellers list, The Sun reported.
On Tuesday morning, the former actress' book had a rating of 3.8 out of 5 on Amazon, but the next day, it jumped to 4.5 out of 5.
Even though the book is climbing up the charts, the reviews on Amazon are less than positive. One person wrote, "Why would someone who refuses to speak to her own father and distanced her husband from his, write a book about relationship with fathers? Why would anyone buy this written by someone like that?" while another added, "Not a good message for children, very bizarre as though it were written for malfunctioning parents. Can not recommend."
A third user said, "This book is bland. No characters, no story, no substance. Shallow like the author. I guess it makes sense as she ghosted her own father. Two thumbs down."
Additionally, critics didn't write great things about the book. "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," The Telegraph's Claire Allfree wrote.
Alex Connell of The Times said the book was 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..."
Last month, the Suits star revealed her latest venture to the public. "The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born," Meghan, who just welcomed baby No. 2, said in the press release from publisher Random House Children's Books. "That poem became this story."
"Christian [Robinson] 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," Meghan said. "My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine.”