Many thanks to my partner @prhaudio for the #gifted copy.

 

My adoration with Prince Harry started years ago.  That red hair.  The tragedy of his youth.  The fearless playboy attitude.  

 

A handsome bad boy with a crown?  Yes, please. 

 

And yet… it’s only fair to note that how enamored I was, was largely dictated by the media portrayal.  But what was passable, even charming, in my eyes was unfavorable to throngs of others, resulting in unabashed criticism, disparagement, and harassment of Harry.  

 

I cannot imagine the glare of the media or the demand of being born into royalty.  I think that’s why the attention Spare has garnered is worthy and needed.    

 

I was drawn into the book from the very first words.  With beautiful writing, it’s compulsively readable.  Suffice it to say that I (ignored all real responsibilities and) finished this 15 ½ hour book within 2 days.  

 

Harry’s words are deeply personal.  Imbued in the trauma of his mother’s death, he recounts her impact and loss with a raw and brave honesty.  His story, at its core, is one of a boy turned man learning to accept this well of grief. And sorrow that languished left a lasting impact, both internal and throughout his external connections.

 

There’s a courageousness that comes from telling such a personal and intimate story.  And I have a deep respect for the spotlight Harry’s story gives to mental health.  

 

It’s not all deep and moving though.  There are bits about frozen todgers and his distaste for beer.  There are continual threads regarding his love of Africa and charity.  And there is a necessary look at the atrocities of the media.  But the highlight of the book for me was him finding love of self and the loves of his life (Meghan and their children).

 

Overall, this felt like sitting down for coffee with an old friend, recounting the highs and lows of life.  And while we like to imagine our princes living an actual fairy tale life of pomp and circumstance, this is proof that they are, in fact, just ordinary people living uniquely messy lives. 

 

Of note:  This isn’t the salacious story the media has portrayed.