The new Prince Harry memoir Spare created a serious buzz and a lot of foot traffic as the new book hit the shelves at various Vancouver Island book stores.
“There’s been a huge demand for Harry’s book especially in the last week,” said Russell Books owner Andrea Minter. “People have been coming and going all day long, there wasn’t a huge lineup out the door this morning but sales have been brisk and steady and we anticipate good sales throughout the week for sure.”
The Greater Victoria Public Library already has more than 550 holds placed on the book and 285 on the digital copies, although the library says it is ordering more copies in to try to keep up with demand.
“I’ve been watching Prince Harry and Prince William since they were born so I sort of have this vested interested in them and the royal family,” said Munro’s Books customer Louise Gordon who had pre-ordered a copy.
There may be one chapter in particular Vancouver Islanders are more eager to read than the rest of the world. Chapter 72 documents the time Harry, Meghan and Archie moved into a waterfront home in North Saanich.
According to the book they arrived in November 2019 under the cover of night.
“A friend knew someone who had a house we could borrow on Vancouver Island, quiet, green, seemingly remote, only reachable by ferry or plane,” Harry recounts.
“I think that has piqued people’s interest as well so it’s made it feel like there’s more of a local connection even though they don’t live here anymore,” said Paul, who says it’s been quite a few years since a book has generated this level of excitement.
“The only thing I could really compare it to is when Barack and Michelle Obama’s first books came out in the last couple of years.”
Spare has now become the fastest selling non-fiction book in the U.K. ever, according to the publisher.
Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace still haven’t commented on the book.
April Lawrence
