Meghan Markle's Book 'The Bench' Jumps to Third on Amazon Bestsellers List
The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle's children's book The Bench has jumped to number 3 on Amazon's bestsellers list and is number 1 in the Children's Emotions books category.
The Bench, illustrated by artist Christian Robinson, is, at time of writing on Wednesday, currently sitting just behind Joshua Weissman's An Unapologetic Cookbook and The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson on Amazon's list, which is updated hourly.
The Duchess of Sussex's illustrated book was released on Tuesday and is described as capturing "the evolving and expanding relationship between father and son." Its illustrations depict a diverse range of fathers and sons, though one pair seems to resemble Prince Harry and son, Archie.
The press release describes Meghan's book as giving readers "a window into shared and enduring moments between a diverse group of father and sons—moments of peace and reflection, trust and belief, discovery and learning, and lasting comfort."
It's targeted towards children aged 3 to 7, though a common criticism among reviewers is that the book would be better suited to a new father or new parents.
For example, Sarah Dawson for The Independent described The Bench as "sentimental and a bit of a tear-jerker for adults," adding that "the story failed to grab and keep the attention of the younger kids."
Alex O'Connell for The Times said that the book "lacks the crucial ingredients for a successful tale for this age group: a good story and basic rhythm," and said "it reads as if it has been penned as a self-help manual for needy parents rather than as a story to entertain small kids."
Emily Phillips for The Evening Standard also came to a similar conclusion, writing: "While these more emotional rhyming books in our daughter's library are usually directly written to and about the apple of your eye, this one is written to the parent, as a reminder of all of the joy and learning that child-rearing brings."
The Bench has also gained mixed reviews among readers so far, with 53 percent of Google users saying they liked the book. Of the 160 reviews on Amazon, 85 percent rated the book five stars, with 10 percent rating the book one star.
One Google user gave the book five stars and said: "I loved the whole book. It comes out when the world has been through so much. Harry and Meghan are so caring and this book touches everyone. I am very proud of them. I look forward to the next book Meghan writes. Thanks for sharing it with us."
Another user rated the book one star and wrote: "An immature attempt at rhyming. Although I like the idea behind it, it shouldn't be sold as a children's book. Okay to read as an adult, but the kids weren't interested.
"It lacks any story, intrigue, or problem-solving that most kids' books have that holds their attention. Disappointed, I wouldn't recommend it for children."
