Joseph, Sophie and Ralph Fiennes honor late mom's novel, Blood Ties, and help spark sales.
PW, August 16, 1999, by J.Q.

We're no fools, we understand why there's a visibility." So said documentary filmmaker/producer Sophie Fiennes in a NYTimes interview about her mini-media blitz, with her actor brothers Ralph and Joseph, to promote Blood Ties, the sixth and last novel by their mother, Jini Fiennes, who wrote under her maiden name, Jennifer Lash, and died in 1993.

Indeed, while the Anglo-Irish novel attracted favorable reviews at its initial hardcover release last year - PW called it "one of the most impressive contemporary novels to tackle that dubious, cliche-prone realm of the dysfunctional family: - the Fiennes family's very functional support of the book is now bringing heightened attention.

The siblings' reading of the book on July 27 at NYC's New School, prompted sales of some 600 copies of the book. The on-site sales were handled by local (and appropriate, given Joseph's most famous role) bookseller Shakespeare & Co.

But appearances on Good Morning America and The Charlie Rose Show that same day are now driving sales of the book on a national scale. Shortly after the GMA appearance the book's ranking on Amazon.com jumped from the #2000 range to above #200. And by the end of the week, chain outlets reported a tenfold increase in sales for the book.

While Sophie, Ralph and Joseph, who have four other siblings, are not currently committed to more media time, their presence will linger: not only did they sit for an interview fo the New York Times, which appeared two days after the event, but they also recorded an interview for NPR's Fresh Air, which will air in the next several weeks.

Bloomsbury, which first acquired the Lash book based on a tip from The English Patient author Michael Ondaatje, who heard about it from Ralph on the set of that book's film adaptation, at press time had gone back for a third printing of the book, which is currently about 10,000 copies in print.

At the very least, Bloomsbury is hoping this little media burst will prompt reviewers to consider the book - as well as prompt booksellers to reorder. And there's hope that the Fiennes family will realize what a fine thing it was to promote the book - and do more.

PW's suggestion: one or both of the brothers should narrate an audio of the book.