Meghan Markle's First Book Sits in the Library of Congress
Earlier this month, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, published what many royal-watchers believed to be her first book, The Bench, a children's book inspired by Prince Harry and baby Archie. The book became a New York Times bestseller just a week after publication. However, few have encountered Meghan's earlier work, A Face without Freckles... Is a Night Without Stars, which the future Duchess wrote when she was in eighth grade.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden recently posted a message on Twitter about the Duchess's first book, which a young Meghan submitted to the US Copyright Office in 1996. According to Hayden, in the book, Meghan "extols the wonder of freckles with drawings and verse."
A passage from the book reads: “Some people think freckles are strange, / While I happen to disagree, / Because if I didn’t have my freckles, / Then I would not truly be me!!!”
Did you know Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, wrote a book in 8th grade titled, A Face without Freckles... Is a Night Without Stars. She extols the wonder of freckles with drawings and verse. Meghan submitted it to the @CopyrightOffice in 1996. From @librarycongress collection: pic.twitter.com/7XgSLTV1rc
— Carla Hayden (@LibnOfCongress) June 22, 2021
The words are also accompanied by a sweet drawing of what appears to be Meghan, freckles and all.
A Face without Freckles... Is a Night Without Stars also included an "About the Author" page, featuring a photo of Meghan in eighth grade and a little description about her life as a Los Angeles teenager.
"Meghan Markle currently attends Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, California and enjoys watching television, spending time with her friends, and participating in musical comedies," the future Duchess wrote, foreshadowing her acting career.
"Meghan wrote this book in the eighth grade as a school project, and now wishes to continue writing throughout high school," she wrote. "She wants to take a moment to thank her 'mommy' and 'daddy' who gratefully spent their time and effort supporting her."
This book is not such a far cry from The Bench, where Meghan also uses rhymes and illustrations to tell a story. The Bench began as a poem the Duchess wrote for Prince Harry for Father's Day and eventually turned into a children's book, about the bond between fathers and sons.
The Duchess wrote, years after her original rhyming work, "This is your bench / Where you’ll witness great joy. / From here you will rest / See the growth of our boy."
You Might Also Like
