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bargainsleuth's review against another edition
3.0
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I admit it, ever since I was seven years old and the wedding of the century happened (Charles and Diana), I've been fascinated by the royals. I always scour the People magazines a friend gives to me for the latest news on the royals. And Finding Freedom is the most talked-about royal book in a long time.
I've got no beef with Harry and Meghan, but some day in the future, I guarantee, it will be revealed that they had a hand in this book. It will be just like when Diana and the palace said no one was involved in Diana: Her True Story and later came out that she was in fact, most helpful to Andrew Morton in crafting that tale. So mark my words, the same will happen here, because there is no way in heck Harry or Meghan told their intimates the detailed description of their vast feast described on their third night in Botswana. I have a few close friends, but I don't give them a blow-by-blow, minute-by-minute detailing of my life.
Some issues with the book. "Kate was never interested in having a career, while that was always a driver for Meghan." Kate went to University for a reason. Was it to bag a husband? I don't think so. And ending up as the future Queen Consort, and being a mother, ARE CAREERS. The "authors" continually try to portray Meghan as someone who fought long and hard for her career as a B-actress in a cable TV drama, that she has always been outspoken about issues and has always had a philanthropic heart. That may be true, but the book is trying to hard to get that point across.
"Meghan prepared a lunch of field greens, pasta with chili peppers, and warm bread. Her favorite peony blooms sat alongside assorted books, including a Vogue anthology, Grace Coddington’s memoir, and, fittingly, a thick coffee table book of Vanity Fair portraits through the years. Her white couch was scattered with British throw pillows and a strategically placed blanket so that her beloved pooches, Bogart and Guy, could lounge without dirtying the furniture." Who would know this except for the interviewer Meghan was expecting, or Meghan herself?
"Then it was dessert, displayed alongside gold-embellished containers filled with sugar crystals, into which stork-shaped cookies had been arranged. The cake was a two-tier white-fondant confection decorated with paper figures of Meghan, Harry, and a stroller. But there were also Ladurée macaron towers, key lime and cherry tarts, red velvet and carrot cakes, cotton candy pompoms, and a jar of multicolored gluten-free doughnut holes." I felt like I was reading one of my beloved Nancy Drew novels with their frequent mention of meals. The above is just one of MANY descriptions we get of Meg and Harry's meals. Who cares what they ate?
"They decided to hire a night nurse to establish a sleep schedule and be an extra pair of helping hands. But their time with the couple was brief. Meghan and Harry were forced to let the nurse go in the middle of her second night of work for being unprofessional and irresponsible." This just leads to speculation. What was unprofessional and irresponsible about the night nurse? This is where we need more details, not what the Sussex's ate for dinner at some grand gala.
“Fundamentally, Harry wanted out,” a source close to the couple said. “Deep down, he was always struggling within that world. She’s opened the door for him on that.” To this, I heartily agree. Harry watched his mother become the hunted and the paparazzi the hunter. It ended up killing her. To say he has issues with the press is a no-brainer. And the British press has done nothing but eviscerate Meghan every chance they get. Wouldn't you want to get the heck out of there if you had the means and opportunity. The marriage and parenthood are Harry's way to final say to heck with it. The way he did it, though, was not the best.
This is a quick, fun and juicy summer read if you care anything about the royals.
I admit it, ever since I was seven years old and the wedding of the century happened (Charles and Diana), I've been fascinated by the royals. I always scour the People magazines a friend gives to me for the latest news on the royals. And Finding Freedom is the most talked-about royal book in a long time.
I've got no beef with Harry and Meghan, but some day in the future, I guarantee, it will be revealed that they had a hand in this book. It will be just like when Diana and the palace said no one was involved in Diana: Her True Story and later came out that she was in fact, most helpful to Andrew Morton in crafting that tale. So mark my words, the same will happen here, because there is no way in heck Harry or Meghan told their intimates the detailed description of their vast feast described on their third night in Botswana. I have a few close friends, but I don't give them a blow-by-blow, minute-by-minute detailing of my life.
Some issues with the book. "Kate was never interested in having a career, while that was always a driver for Meghan." Kate went to University for a reason. Was it to bag a husband? I don't think so. And ending up as the future Queen Consort, and being a mother, ARE CAREERS. The "authors" continually try to portray Meghan as someone who fought long and hard for her career as a B-actress in a cable TV drama, that she has always been outspoken about issues and has always had a philanthropic heart. That may be true, but the book is trying to hard to get that point across.
"Meghan prepared a lunch of field greens, pasta with chili peppers, and warm bread. Her favorite peony blooms sat alongside assorted books, including a Vogue anthology, Grace Coddington’s memoir, and, fittingly, a thick coffee table book of Vanity Fair portraits through the years. Her white couch was scattered with British throw pillows and a strategically placed blanket so that her beloved pooches, Bogart and Guy, could lounge without dirtying the furniture." Who would know this except for the interviewer Meghan was expecting, or Meghan herself?
"Then it was dessert, displayed alongside gold-embellished containers filled with sugar crystals, into which stork-shaped cookies had been arranged. The cake was a two-tier white-fondant confection decorated with paper figures of Meghan, Harry, and a stroller. But there were also Ladurée macaron towers, key lime and cherry tarts, red velvet and carrot cakes, cotton candy pompoms, and a jar of multicolored gluten-free doughnut holes." I felt like I was reading one of my beloved Nancy Drew novels with their frequent mention of meals. The above is just one of MANY descriptions we get of Meg and Harry's meals. Who cares what they ate?
"They decided to hire a night nurse to establish a sleep schedule and be an extra pair of helping hands. But their time with the couple was brief. Meghan and Harry were forced to let the nurse go in the middle of her second night of work for being unprofessional and irresponsible." This just leads to speculation. What was unprofessional and irresponsible about the night nurse? This is where we need more details, not what the Sussex's ate for dinner at some grand gala.
“Fundamentally, Harry wanted out,” a source close to the couple said. “Deep down, he was always struggling within that world. She’s opened the door for him on that.” To this, I heartily agree. Harry watched his mother become the hunted and the paparazzi the hunter. It ended up killing her. To say he has issues with the press is a no-brainer. And the British press has done nothing but eviscerate Meghan every chance they get. Wouldn't you want to get the heck out of there if you had the means and opportunity. The marriage and parenthood are Harry's way to final say to heck with it. The way he did it, though, was not the best.
This is a quick, fun and juicy summer read if you care anything about the royals.
thebookcoyote's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
TW/CW: Racism, death of a parent, language.
REVIEW:
Book Content:
Finding Freedom is a non-fiction book that tells the story of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from their meeting (and before) to sometime in 2022.
While I found this to be an interesting and well-researched book, I have to state up front that it is very biased. This is without a doubt a pro-Harry & Meghan book and readers should know that going into it. The authors are clearly very fond of the couple.
Nonetheless, if you read this book with a grain of salt it has a lot of interesting stories and insider information.
Sadly, it doesn’t cover anything after the death of Prince Phillip, which would have been interesting to read.
Audio Narration
This book is narrated by Omid Scobie, one of the authors. He does a very good job and is a pleasure to listen to. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I love his British accent, as well!
mythie's review against another edition
4.0
One would hope that positions of privilege would enable people to struggle less, yet this is a story of serious ongoing struggle. As I read, I applauded Harry and Meghan for making those hard decisions to rise above the toxicity and get themselves free.
carolineinthelibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Knowing very, very little about the royal family, I thought this book was interesting and journalistic. I learned a lot about Harry and Meghan's relationship and the innerworkings of the Royal Family. I was shocked by how toxic the media is toward her. It's easy to see how the decisions the couple make for themselves are heavily influenced by Princess Diana's untimely death and the circumstances surrounding it.
readfrenzy's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
My opinion, in short: excellent fact checking, mediocre writing. I’m a firm Sussex supporter. The charitable endeavors by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their obvious love for each other, and their warm demeanor quickly made me a fan. Even I have to admit, though, that the writing in this book is saccharine. Nobody is as perfect as Meghan is depicted.
Where the book shines is in debunking many of the salacious headlines and asinine accusations hurled at Meghan. Where it falls short is in getting to the heart of the emotional powder keg that became so toxic that Harry and Meghan felt they had no other choice but to step away. There isn’t enough emphasis on the reasons behind their urgency to leave. The book sugarcoats the incessant vilification of Meghan in the press, particularly when she was pregnant. But exactly why wasn’t she supported publicly by the family? Did they support her privately at all? I’m also curious about how Meghan’s many successful initiatives were received by The Firm? (The book omits two of her record-breaking projects that she launched while pregnant and on maternity leave: guest editing of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue — which was also criticized in the press — and creating a fashion capsule collection for the charity SmartWorks.)
The sequence of events tends to jump around, giving the book a disjointed feeling sometimes. As much as I love one of the authors for his straightforward and balanced reporting, this reads more like a gushing amateur piece of writing than a professionally published biography.
My opinion, in short: excellent fact checking, mediocre writing. I’m a firm Sussex supporter. The charitable endeavors by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their obvious love for each other, and their warm demeanor quickly made me a fan. Even I have to admit, though, that the writing in this book is saccharine. Nobody is as perfect as Meghan is depicted.
Where the book shines is in debunking many of the salacious headlines and asinine accusations hurled at Meghan. Where it falls short is in getting to the heart of the emotional powder keg that became so toxic that Harry and Meghan felt they had no other choice but to step away. There isn’t enough emphasis on the reasons behind their urgency to leave. The book sugarcoats the incessant vilification of Meghan in the press, particularly when she was pregnant. But exactly why wasn’t she supported publicly by the family? Did they support her privately at all? I’m also curious about how Meghan’s many successful initiatives were received by The Firm? (The book omits two of her record-breaking projects that she launched while pregnant and on maternity leave: guest editing of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue — which was also criticized in the press — and creating a fashion capsule collection for the charity SmartWorks.)
The sequence of events tends to jump around, giving the book a disjointed feeling sometimes. As much as I love one of the authors for his straightforward and balanced reporting, this reads more like a gushing amateur piece of writing than a professionally published biography.