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BOOK NEWS: 'Abduction' (book tour cancelled)
After the sad case of missing four-year old Madeline McCann hit the news, the UK book tour for Barbara Gowdy's novel Helpless, which is about the abduction of a nine-year old girl, has been cancelled.
The book has been out in hardback since March in the US and is released on 7th June in the UK, where it might hit a bit too close to home for some readers. [Via Galleycat].
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Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 31, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Crime / Mystery, Modern Fiction, New Releases | Permalink
Comments
I wonder if Madeline McCann's parents weren't so expertly playing the media game would the book tour still be cancelled. The fact is that people (children and adults) go missing across the world every day and nobody cancels book tours for them. Ridiculous, if you ask me.
Posted by: Ms Mac | May 31, 2007 3:14:43 PM
I was thinking it's interesting that Jodi Picoult writes about things that happen in real life and is called 'psychic' and 'timely', whereas for a less-known author it's very different...
But no-one could help thinking of Madeline (at least in the back of their mind) with the publication of this book and I think there would be an outcry from some sections of the public if it was heavily promoted right now.
I too feel a bit uncomfortable at all the attention this one missing girl is getting, although I understand why the parents are going it too - it's the media that's hypocritical, but that's probably a topic for another blog! x
Posted by: DIANE SHIPLEY | May 31, 2007 3:25:04 PM
I think one reason it hit the headlines so hard is that it happened to British people on holiday abroad. That seems to make it all much more shocking somehow, as with Ben Needham all those years ago. It's true that people go missing all the time without so much as a by-your-leave but I'm so glad it didn't happen to my toddler (now an adult) but if it had, I'd have played the media game for all I was worth, too, and then some. Anyhoo, it's only the tour that's been cancelled, not the book itself?
Posted by: Maz | May 31, 2007 4:47:46 PM
Yes, only the tour, but that limits the book's sales...
Posted by: DIANE SHIPLEY | May 31, 2007 5:46:25 PM
"I wonder if Madeline McCann's parents weren't so expertly playing the media game would the book tour still be cancelled." Good for them, though - surely they should do whatever they can?
But also, there was a book out around the same time as the 7/7 bombings and publicity was pulled. Full story (it's pretty interesting) here:
Posted by: Keris | May 31, 2007 7:13:01 PM
"Yes, only the tour, but that limits the book's sales..."
Oh well, not to worry! I still agree with the cancellation.
Posted by: maz | May 31, 2007 9:33:50 PM
Surely it would have been more constructive for the book tour to go ahead and use it to help raise awareness of the plight of missing children. They could have handed out a flyer with the purchase of a book with all the information on the Madeline McCann case and others. Even information about missing persons in the areas that the tour takes. I can't help feeling that the opportunity's to be of some help has been lost in the hurry to hop on the grief band wagon.
Posted by: Ms Mac | Jun 1, 2007 6:25:56 AM
That's an excellent point, Stella. I wonder why they didn't do that.
Posted by: Keris | Jun 1, 2007 2:05:20 PM
Yes, good point again Stella.
Always ask Trashionista readers, is the lesson the publishers should learn from this!
Posted by: diane | Jun 1, 2007 2:30:16 PM
Stella - it's a good point I guess but not sure I'd like that to happen with my book... in fact, if I come clean and 'fess up, I just don't like books on the subject.
Posted by: Maz | Jun 1, 2007 3:39:15 PM
