FASD Awareness: Analyzing ‘Princess Margaret and the Curse’

I was so excited to read this new book, Princess Margaret and the Curse by Meryle Secrest, that asks us to consider whether Princess Margaret had fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. It came out on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day, which is the ninth day of the ninth month of the year, in a full month of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness.

I know that there is no real science behind the book, but I was excited because I thought lots of people would read it, and lots of people would learn about FASDs.

Even the description of the book makes it evident that Secrest’s book is pure speculation:

“She is the first person to have looked at Princess Margaret in a particular family context. […] Her [mother’s] older brothers were already renowned for their prowess in alcohol consumption. Decades later, once she became Queen Mother, this Elizabeth would begin to imbibe by eleven in the morning.”

Perhaps the Queen Mum DID imbibe by 11 o’clock, but she was never pregnant as Queen Mum. George VI took the throne on December 11, 1936, a good six years after Margaret was born (August 21, 1930).

Yes, doctors back then thought it was okay to drink alcohol during pregnancy, and yes, Secrest may be right: Princess Margaret may have had a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. But maybe not.

Still, that wasn’t even why I was excited. I was excited because someone was finally talking about it! Here’s a major publisher – Skyhorse – publishing a major book on a vitally important topic in time for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Month.

Day one I got the book, and before I dove in, I looked to the reviews…and there wasn’t one. Not one. I’ve never seen this before. Sheesh, even the book I self-published has MY review. Not one review for Princess Margaret and the Curse. When movies have no reviews before they open it’s usually because they aren’t good.

But people still see them, right?

So, I am reading the book, and I hope I won’t be the only one!

I was hoping for a very readable book that explains what FASDs can look like.

I was hoping for a book that would make people care about the approximately five percent of the population with FASDs.

I was hoping that Secrest, in this book “she considers more of an investigation than a biography” would help people understand FASDs. After all, even a broken clock is right twice a day!

I’m only 36 pages in, and I can’t really tell if Secrest hit the mark. I can say I hope others care enough to spend some time learning about FASDs, even if they don’t read the book about Princess Margaret. (And from what I’ve read thus far, they probably shouldn’t.)

In fact, here’s a readable website with a wealth of information to do so! www.fasdunited.org