NOTE: I’m part of the Amazon affiliate program, and the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links. You can click on the link and purchase the item listed to support this blog at no additional cost to you—I make a (very small) commission from any purchase made. Thanks!
I’ve always had mixed feelings on Andrew Morton. Maybe it’s the way he comes off in interviews, or how some of his books have had some contested assertions, but I get a weird vibe from him. Yet on the other hand, I somehow get the sense that he really knows what he’s talking about when it comes to Princess Diana and some elements of the royal family in general. It’s a complicated relationship.
All that being said, I mostly enjoyed this biography—the first in-depth one—of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (formerly known as Meghan Markle).
I didn’t really know too much about her prior to her relationship with Prince Harry—my dad was the one who broke the news to me. He’s a big fan of Suits, and just had to call and tell me that Meghan Markle (“A Canadian!” he wrongly asserted) was dating Prince Harry. The Toronto (and Canadian) newspapers really caught on to the hometown angle of the relationship, even though Meghan only lived in Toronto to film Suits and really came from California.
As I read the book, I felt like I really got to know her better. Andrew spoke with many of her former colleagues, her friends, and a few of her family members for the book, and their knowledge really shines in his writing. As a biracial woman, I related to her story—I recognized many of my own thoughts in hers, and we share some of the same experiences regarding our mixed-race heritage. We even have a few personality traits in common, which kind of freaked me out.
When I finished the biography, I got the sense that being married into the royal family was a perfect fit for Meghan. She studied international relations in school and interned at the American embassy in Buenos Aires. Her experience with international relations, together with her film career and her charity work, makes it easier for her to adjust to royal life. Make no mistake, she’s primarily in love with Harry—that much is crystal clear. But being a royal gives her a platform to do good in the world.
However, there was one thing that really annoyed me—I felt that Andrew was very heavy-handed in describing the “themes” of the book. I found that the books and writing I enjoyed the most employed the method of “show, don’t tell.” While the rest of the book had much more show than tell, I felt like Andrew was trying to shove the “themes” down my throat and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this biography—it makes me excited to see what Meghan brings to the royal family.
From Blushes to Blasters 