Meghan Markle has written her first children’s book, and it explores the bond between father and son.
Inspired by the Duchess of Sussex’s husband, Prince Harry, and son, Archie, The Bench is told from the perspective of a mother and centres around familial love in modern family life.
Illustrated by Christian Robinson, The Bench will hit bookshelves on June 8 and will be published by Random House Children’s Books (RHCB) in the U.S., and Puffin, an imprint of Penguin Random House Children’s UK, in the UK. The audiobook will be narrated by Meghan Markle.
A glimpse of “The Bench”
Image: penguin random house
“The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born,” says the author in a statement.
“That poem became this story. Christian layered in beautiful and ethereal watercolour 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,” she adds.
“My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine.”
The front cover of “The Bench”
Image: penguin random house
According to a press release, The Bench “gives readers a window into shared and enduring moments between a diverse group of fathers and sons — moments of peace and reflection, trust and belief, discovery and learning, and lasting comfort.”
The book will be published by various Penguin Random House publishing imprints in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa.
The Bench by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will be published by Penguin Random House on 8 June 2021.