finance
Jill Biden memoir debuts at No. 1 but falls off New York Times list after two weeks
The book 'View from the East Wing' reached the top spot on June 21, 2026, but carried a dagger symbol indicating mixed bulk and regular sales. It fell to No. 3 the following week and left the list entirely two weeks after debut.
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Jill Biden's memoir 'View from the East Wing' debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction bestseller list on June 21, 2026, accompanied by a dagger symbol that the paper uses when sales include a mix of bulk and regular purchases. The book dropped to No.
3 the next week and disappeared from the list two weeks after its debut. Circana BookScan data showed the title falling from No. 2 to No. 5 to No. 16 on its hardcover nonfiction chart in successive weeks.
By the week ending June 20, 2026, it had sold 3,221 print copies, for a total of 29,539 U.S. print units. " A New York Times spokesperson said the dagger appears when the paper believes sales include both organic and bulk purchases.
Gallery Books stated that the memoir spent two weeks on the list and that sales were driven by national media coverage and in-conversation events. Lauren Cobello, founder of Leverage with Media PR, said bulk purchases linked to a book tour represent "a smart strategy" and noted the title remained on the USA Today bestseller list after leaving the Times rankings.
Jill Biden promoted the book at the Sixth and I temple and venue in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2026.
Joe Biden reportedly received a $10 million advance for his own presidential memoir.
