Exclusive:
Hannah Ingram-Moore’s self-published book “Grief: Public Face, Private Loss” has face criticism since it was released this week
An £8.99 book on grief penned by the daughter of Covid hero Captain Sir Tom Moore has been savaged by readers.
Hannah Ingram-Moore, 54, and her husband Colin, 67, faced a backlash over their handling of the Captain Tom Foundation. The Charity Commission criticised the couple for pocketing money from his books for themselves rather than it going to charity.
But Mrs Ingram-Moore has said the decision almost “derailed” the family’s life but claimed “nothing dishonest” happened. Despite the furore, this week she released a book on Amazon about coping with death. She self-published her work Grief: Public Face, Private Loss.
Mrs Ingram-Moore tells readers: “Losing my mother to a degenerative brain disease was a slow and agonising journey that taught me the depths of personal sorrow. Later, grieving the loss of my father, Captain Sir Tom, a beacon of hope to millions during the global pandemic of 2020, came with its own unique challenges.
“Balancing the world’s outpouring of gratitude for his legacy with my private grief was a profound experience that shaped the insights shared in these pages.”
But buyers of the 144-page Grief: Public Face Private Loss – published this week – have not been impressed and have left the tome an overall 2 out of 5 rating on Amazon. It is 21,000 in the platform’s sales charts.
Maggiemay wrote: “I belted through this on my Kindle tonight. In summary, it’s an anecdotal account of the loss of Hannah’s parents and how that impacted her. There is nothing new here. I don’t think writing this was a good idea at all.
“It will only heap more unwelcome criticism on someone who would be well advised to stay out of the public eye and keep quiet for a while at least. There are so many excellent books on grief out there and this in my opinion isn’t one of them. I cannot imagine it helping anyone.”
Stuart said: “Not very good…. Someone is trying desperately to try and remain in the public eye and detract from the appalling misuse of charitable funds! Cannot recommend, sorry.” Another person said: “There is very little to offer others who are bereaved, it’s only self help in that the author seems to have benefitted from writing it.”
Mrs Ingram Moore sparked controversy after she and husband Colin pocketed cash from a previous book deal – giving none to Captain Sir Tom’s good cause. A damning Charity Commission report last November found it was among moves by the Ingram-Moores to plunder her father’s memory for their own benefit.
The couple were also ordered to demolish a luxury spa that had been built in the grounds of their home in Marston Moretaine, Beds., using the Captain Tom Foundation charity name.
Captain Tom – knighted before his death – raised nearly £39 million for NHS charities by completing 100 lockdown laps of the family’s garden using a walking aid.
Publishers Penguin then agreed to pay a £1.4 million advance to the Ingram-Moore’s private company for Captain Tom’s memoir on the understanding a contribution would be made to charity.
In the prologue to Tomorrow Will Be a Good Day, Capt Tom – who died in 2021 aged 100 – wrote: “I have also been given the chance to raise even more money for the charitable foundation established in my name.”
Mrs Ingram-Moore later defended the decision to keep profits from his books, which also included Life Lessons and One Hundred Steps. Most of the money from them went into the family company, Club Nook.
Last week Mrs Ingram-Moore told the BBC she was sorry if the public felt misled. She said: “I genuinely am. But there was never any attempt to mislead and if there was any misleading it wasn’t our doing.”