Meghan Misunderstood

by Sean Smith

Meghan Misunderstood is a pioneering book that sets the record straight on the most talked about, unfairly vilified and misrepresented woman in the world.


Meghan Markle was eleven when she first advocated for women’s rights; a teenager when she worked in a soup kitchen feeding the homeless; a popular actress when she campaigned for clean water in Africa and passionately championed gender equality in a speech to a United Nations Women’s Conference. Even before she met Prince Harry, hers was an extraordinarily accomplished life.


Meghan’s wedding to Harry was a joyful occasion, marking happiness at last for the Queen’s grandson who had captured our hearts twenty years earlier when he bravely walked behind his mother Diana’s coffin. Theirs was a story that the screenwriters of Hollywood – where Meghan had made her name – could scarcely have imagined.


The rom-com fantasy, however, soon turned into disturbing drama: any expectation of a life happily-ever-after was cruelly dashed by bullying tabloid newspapers and their allies, both on social media and within the walls of the Palace itself.


Meghan was targeted for her gender, her race, her nationality and her profession. The abuse became so bad that seventy-two female MPs signed a letter of solidarity against the ‘often distasteful and misleading press’, calling out the ‘outdated colonial undertones’ of the stories.


Now, Sean Smith, the UK’s leading celebrity biographer, pulls no punches as he reveals the remarkable and powerful story of this self-made, intelligent American woman with a strong social conscience who has made such an impact on our lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook

336 pages, Hardcover

First published November 12, 2020

About the author

Sean Smith is the UK’s leading celebrity biographer and the author of the number one bestseller Cheryl, as well as bestselling books about Tom Jones, Robbie Williams and Kate Middleton.

His books about the most famous people of our times has been translated throughout the world. His subjects include Adele, Kim Kardashian, Gary Barlow, Kylie Minogue, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston and J.K. Rowling. The film Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story was based on his biography of the Harry Potter author.

Described by the Independent as a ‘fearless chronicler’, he specialises in meticulous research, going ‘on the road’ to find the real person behind the star image.

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

2022 Reread Review:
I'm rereading the gossipy tabloid-esque biographies of Harry, Meghan & Sussexit in anticipation of Harry's biography, 'Spare'.
Honestly I think this ages the best given what we now post their interview with Oprah and the release of their Netflix docuseries.
"Meghan was not speaking to them as a member of the Royal Family. She is a biracial American woman addressing young people in her home country, her home state – her hometown. Perhaps we never properly grasped her identity – this supremely accomplished woman who the United Kingdom has now lost: we didn’t own her body; we didn’t own her mind; we didn’t own her spirit … we didn’t own her."

Original 2020 Review:
I was not expecting to like this as much as I did.
This is an exceptionally thorough biography of Meghan. It focuses on her, the author bothered to research US history so his statements about Meghan make sense and have validity.
This is really well done and i enjoyed it.
I do not know how accurate it is but it addressed my questions and added much info about how 'The Firm' operates.

[Marge · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another anti feminist, hate book written/endorsed by the perpetually narcissistic Meghan Markle. There is no new information in this book, it’s is a regurgitation of the same fake sob story she has shoved down our throats for 3 years. And again, it doesn’t stick. As usual, she comes across as obnoxious, immature, self centered and fame hungry. What Markle fails to realize is that the only victim she is in life is a victim of herself and her beyond over inflated ego. My take away is that I truly feel sorry for the women in the RF, who are guilty of nothing more than knowing this sociopath yet are constantly on the receiving end of her bullying for no valid reason. Save your $$$ and find the excerpts online.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I had a generally positive image of Meghan Markle and felt she was very badly treated by the British tabloids, I didn’t really know much about her. So although royal biographies aren’t necessarily my usual reading matter, I was interested to read Sean Smith’s book and hopefully learn a bit more. Which I definitely did.

We learn a lot about Meghan’s family background, her career and her activism. She comes across, accurately I’m sure, as a caring and committed person, passionate about the causes she believes in.

I was most interested when it came to the coverage in the media after her relationship with Prince Harry became known, and Smith is very strong on this, exposing the staggering hypocrisy, double standards and thinly veiled racism and misogyny of the British media for whom almost from day one Meghan could do nothing right. There’s no need to repeat it all here, but suffice to say that while I knew it was bad (I remember her being vilified for stroking her “baby bump” in public, something utterly harmless and natural which almost every pregnant woman does and which had been covered very differently when Kate Middleton did the same), I hadn’t realised quite how toxic it got, with some columnists seizing any opportunity to attack her for heinous crimes like wearing the wrong colour of nail varnish or eating an avocado. Yet more evidence of how the British tabloids are a national disgrace.

It’s not badly written, but could do with better editing in places (“blatent racism”, for instance, and several incorrect uses of “discrete”) and is a bit over-reliant on cliche. (“At seventeen, she had blossomed into a stunning young woman who cast a spell over the boys.”) Smith rightly draws attention to the limited, sexualised options for attractive young women in the acting profession, but it doesn’t stop him writing lines like “Meghan’s toned figure was on show again...”.

While I’m pro-Meghan, it did feel a bit like a hagiography at times - she seems lovely, but I’m sure that like every other human, she has flaws, but you wouldn’t know it from this book. I also skipped the astrological chart at the end.

An illuminating read nevertheless.

[Amanda Youngs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm being generous to give this badly-written, poorly proofread book two stars. Those two stars reflect my opinion of the written text of the book, and not the audiobook.

OK, I did learn a whole lot about Meghan Markle, some of which was quite interesting at a low level, but the writer is nauseatingly sycophantic about her. Sure, she's a very attractive woman. She's clearly quite bright, although quite why she failed the diplomatic service tests is never explained. She sounds like a warm and articulate woman, and if I ever had the chance to meet her, I'd go with an open mind because just as I don't believe the worst I've heard about her, neither do I necessarily believe the fawning obsequity in this book.

A minor point of interest is the astrological interpretation of her natal chart towards the end of the book. Why would anyone take a book about someone's life seriously if it contains an interpretation of her astrological birth chart, with a special emphasis on her future from now on? Oh, wait, I forgot, this is after all the era of Trump as President and alternative facts!

Having said this, I am among those who believe strongly that Meghan Markle was treated unkindly to the point of damage by the British tabloid press, and I am certain there was and is racism in the mix. Racism is endemic and institutional in UK society, along with a great many other -isms which are equally repugnant and offensive. I wouldn't disagree with that assertion at all, but I wouldn't have spent half as much time as the author does in making that point, because her colour and identity as a bi-racial woman is very much not the only thing of interest and import about her.

I did not like this book, though. I felt that it was poorly written. Perhaps it was well-structured in terms of chapters, but within the chapters, the sentences were not only often describing ugly experiences but also too often describing the ugly experiences in an ugly, ungrammatical way that made it a struggle to work out what the author was really trying to say.

Sadly, overall, I am left wishing I had not invested so many hours of my life into reading it, because those hours are gone now and I shall be perfectly happy to forget much of what I have read to move on in search of something more satisfying and stimulating. I hope whatever I read next will be more pleasingly written than this was, as well.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley and HarperCollins UK, Nonfiction for the arc of this book.

4 star read for me, this was a very compelling and interesting read about Meghan so it was nice to read and get to know her, her family and her background. This book is well written and researched If you are a fan of her or want to know more about her then this is for you, this was a great read and i really enjoyed this and now know a lot more about her which is fab as i really like her! shes an amazing actress too! I recommend to all.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book to try and understand a bit more about Meghan Markle. I went in with an open mind. However, I can safely say it certainly hasn’t changed my opinion.
The book is in my opinion is not brilliantly written. At times it harps on about racism and her black roots. The author is obviously in awe of the woman and just puts across a very positive stance. Everything written is information that has already been in the press and I didn’t learn anything new.
Personally I wouldn’t waste your money on the book and wait until it’s serialised (if it is) in the papers.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book

[Nicole West · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to get a different view of Meghan. I think it's always good to read both sides of a story.

It's sad that politics and that quote "that the colour of your skin opens doors and to people of colour the door is shut."

It's definitely a good read and eye opener.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean Smith (2020) MEGHAN MISUNDERSTOOD (AUDIOBOOK)
Audible - HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 out of 5 stars

Audible writes, "Meghan Misunderstood is a pioneering book that sets the record straight on the most talked about, unfairly vilified and misrepresented woman in the world. Meghan was 11 when she first advocated for women’s rights; a teenager when she worked in a soup kitchen feeding the homeless; a popular actress when she campaigned for clean water in Africa and passionately championed gender equality in a speech to a United Nations Women’s Conference. Even before she met Prince Harry, hers was an extraordinarily accomplished life. Meghan’s wedding to Harry was a joyful occasion, marking happiness at last for the Queen’s grandson who had captured our hearts 20 years earlier when he bravely walked behind his mother Diana’s coffin. Theirs was a story that the screenwriters of Hollywood – where Meghan had made her name – could scarcely have imagined. The rom-com fantasy, however, soon turned into disturbing drama: any expectation of a life happily-ever-after was cruelly dashed by bullying tabloid newspapers and their allies, both on social media and within the walls of the Palace itself. Meghan was targeted for her gender, her race, her nationality and her profession. The abuse became so bad that 72 female MPs signed a letter of solidarity against the ‘often distasteful and misleading press’, calling out the ‘outdated colonial undertones’ of the stories. Now, Sean Smith, the UK’s leading celebrity biographer, pulls no punches as he reveals the remarkable and powerful story of this self-made, intelligent American woman with a strong social conscience who has made such an impact on our lives."
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Leaving was the best decision they ever made. They deserved so much better. I am and always will be #TeamMeghan and #TeamSussex. That said, this is a great book. It's a terrible book if you're someone holding dear the narrative that Meghan is all things bad. The books debates every slur. If you are someone who is interested in finding out the counterpoints then please do read this. It reads as being fair and not exclusively sympathetic which is just as it should be. But I'd invite anyone to read it for themselves, especially those who profess to dislike her and can never describe exactly why. But to anyone who gets their information from Piers Morgan I say this: You’re being a bit thick and you're doing this by choice. You alone can take responsibility for your own choices but I've no time for people who try to justify their stupidity.
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[Leni K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book inspiring and it seemed well researched. It was very interesting to read about where she comes from and how everything in her life led her to where she is today and how she had to face media coverage that was full of double-standards, racism and misogyny.

“At this point in life, I’m merely existing rather than living”, she said. And I was very sorry to read that. People who criticize her so badly should get their priorities in order, in my opinion. She’s probably not picture perfect, but she’s not the devil that the media made her out to be either.

Of course, the book was going to be in favor of Meghan’s perspective, but that was obvious from the title and I didn’t mind, because I do believe she’s a nice person.

What I didn’t like was that last passage about her astrological chart and at times I got a bit tired of the physical descriptions of her, because we know what she looks like, she’s stunning, but that’s not what the book should be about - as the author himself did say on multiple occasions.

[Victoria Taveras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where Finding Freedom read like a cozy romance with obvious fanfiction elements ( I enjoyed it a lot!) this obvious is more about facts. If you are a fan of Meghan then you probably know everything that is retold in this book but if not then this book is really good at describing Meghan's entire life and showcasing how amazing she was before meeting Harry.

The Crown has shown a new generation how awful the Royal Family is (watch Diana: In Her Own Words if you think its fiction) and after listening to this audiobook it's pretty obvious Meghan is a strong principled woman who refused to break under the pressure of "Duty" and instead of playing the role of quiet dutiful wife became a 2020 avenger that rescued the Prince from a life void of emotion.

I can't wait to see what more they can do, together

[Debbie Loader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book drew and repelled me in equal measures. I found her backstory compelling and her need to understand, support and push for change inspiring. But the tabloid press has been ruthless, despicable and beyond what is decent to a woman who only wanted a chance to settle with the man she loved.
As much as enjoyed reading the author did annoy me at times, when he would refer to the DoS as Markle. As I understand it she stopped using her maiden name when she married, the final strike mark against the author for me has to be the statement "senator Markle sounds much better anyway" - surely the correct form would be Senator Mountbatten-Windsor as that is her married name.

[Bonne Foulds · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too Woke for me..

Ok, so it is about Meghan, but the underlying resentment towards those of us who just happen to be born white, makes me tired! How is it, that with both parents ..one white and one black..she’s just black? You don’t know discrimination until you’re born blonde, blue eyed and a woman. We don’t have affirmative action, but everyday, we are turned down for jobs because we may be too pretty, looked at as stupid or hated by black women who think all we live for is to steal their men, etc., etc., etc. I get tired of hearing about racism when all we should be doing is moving on. As for the content, good for her…but, I’m still not too sure how she’d handle an actual hard life..hers has been pretty cushy. I wish them a happy life..they won’t find it around the throne. Those in charge are too jealous !

[Chrislyn Ruddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Audiobook lead to a lack of awareness of the ethos of the author and the book.

I went into the book skeptical. I’ve been reading the situation from a variety of perspectives. I expected this book be sugar coated, biased, and bitter about the situation. And I was a bit surprised at the recounting of situations and seeming coherence.
Until I got to the astrological stars at the end. Any credibility that had been built was lost at that point and left me questioning my own judgement.

The book was skewed towards Meghan and left half truths. That was to be expected. But reading the last two parts of the book would save you a few hours. The astrological signs and aligning of planets…. I don’t know what else to say about it. And the detailed timeline is basically the book on repeat but less frilly descriptors laying on the praise of Meghan’s beauty, intelligence, and power.

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I thought it was very well written and was an excellent biography of Meghan’s life from her childhood to 2020. I knew that Meghan was an accomplished activist but I was amazed to read just how many organizations she helped before meeting the prince. Also, I had no idea that the Instagram announcement that “blindsided” the Queen was only done because the UK tabloids leaked the news themselves. Overall, this is a 4 star read from me.

[Marie-Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew Meghan from Suits, apart from that I've not been too involved with what is going on in terms of positive or negative press. I learned a lot about Meghan and there's thorough research done, but the author seemed to focus a lot on what she looks like rather than what she has actually achieved. There's a huge focus on what she wears rather than what she says, the author seems to be infatuated with her. The book needs a thorough proof read as well.

[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was actually one of the more nuanced and least snarky books about a member of the British Royal Family that I’ve read in recent years. While I read this book with a large grain of salt, I did appreciate that the author tried to paint a fair and honest portrait of Meghan Markle. Compared to the numerous other books that have been written about the Duchess of Sussex, this one stands out for its detailed and seemingly unbiased portrait of its main subject.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the first biography of a royal I've ever read and it was quite entertaining.
It's well written and full of facts. It's a bit on the apology side.
I liked it and it's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

['lynn Dust-kovacs · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the first time I’ve ever heard this. When Meghan Markle was 11 years old, she contacted Proctor and Gamble and helped change who did dishes in households across America. Women were able to walk away and have the man take on the task. Thank you Meghan.

[Fleurtje Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review will follow soon.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher of the book.

[Maya Khristine Malapitan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

A very insightful and detailed story on Meghan highlighting more on her accomplishments. Very empowering. A must read for all.

[Kayla Mahler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing to hear from a UK perspective! Great information and a fair account of her life.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it - learned so much about Meghan's background that I didn't know.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book needs a proof read. Even Meghan is spelt incorrectly a few times. I liked the spirit of the book though.

[KittyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oooh, I have many thoughts about this book, so I’m going to be fair and thoughtful… give me some time to compose my review!

[Sandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

full of lies

[Felicity · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much fawning, I prefer biographies that talk about the good and the bad. Sadly this reads to me as if it’s for PR rather than informational.

[Gigill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the third party research into M's life that you don't get from the Netflix series and Harry's book. Solid read if you're interested in this royal couple. Writer seems to be on team Meghan.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book itself is pretty mediocre, but it’s nice to read something about Meghan that isn’t hating on her sheer existence.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much nasty stuff on Facebook and other websites about this girl, it is nice to read a truthful and friendly take on her life. I really enjoyed this and it makes me feel happy for Harry that he found this brave and caring woman to be the mother of his beautiful children.

[Lorraine Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meghan

All I can say about this book is BRILLIANT,insightful,understanding,respectful,and pulled no punches,unlike Finding Freedom,it did not soft soap the Royal Family or make excuses for them,calling the royal woman, apart from Meghan,Stepford Wives was genious.Thank you Sean for giving a thoughtful insight to Meghan's life,without criticising her.