A new book by lefty Democratic Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) debuted with a face-plant this month, selling just 729 copies in its first week, according to industry tracker NPD BookScan.
“The Forerunner: A Story of Pain and Perseverance in America,” was released by Knopf on Oct. 4. The publisher paid Bush — an anti-police socialist who stoked BLM riots in 2020 — an advance of at least $50,000, Bush’s financial disclosure reports show.
Things only went downhill from there, with NDP reporting just 288 books sold in its second week.
The book is billed as a political memoir which delves into Bush’s history as a minimum-wage worker, survivor of sexual violence and Black Lives Matter activist.
“When I wasn’t in Ferguson [MO.], I would still see armored vehicles, even when they were not there. At random moments in the day, I would smell tear gas, even when none had been sprayed,” she wrote, claiming her time protesting gave her PTSD.
Industry insiders called the book launch “mediocre” and said that Knopf was “unlikely” to recoup their investment.
The public yawn comes despite an intense marketing blitz, which included fawning reviews from friendly outlets like New York Magazine and Forbes Women. The book received glowing testimonials from Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Hoover and Joy Reid. Bush even plugged the memoir on “The View” and “The Daily Show” on the day of its release.
“It’s not the book. It’s just there’s a lack of interest in her. She just hasn’t built a strong enough brand to sell books yet,” said one progressive who’s worked with Bush.
Bush, a squad member closely aligned with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens), has long been a champion for the party’s most divisive issues, including defunding the police and abandoning US support for Israel.
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