Through the Storm...Review

About the book:
We all want our children to succeed. What happens when they do?

Britney Spears wanted to sing ever since she was a little girl. But the years of sacrifices, auditions, performances, albums, fame, and paparazzi left the little Louisiana family swept up and spun around, and nothing turned out the way anyone ever imagined or wanted. Now Lynne shares the inside story of the Spears family as only a mother can.


Through the Storm takes readers outside the narrow orbit of the Hollywood glitterati. Lynne shares how fame forever changed their family; her regrets letting managers, agents, and record companies direct the lives of her children; the challenges that shaped Lynne and Jamie's failed marriage and how they affected Bryan, Britney, and Jamie Lynn; the startling events that led to Britney's breakdown; the aftermath of Jamie Lynn's pregnancy; and how the family has tried pulling together to recapture a sense of hope and purpose.

Through the Storm, says Lynne, is "the story of one simple Southern woman whose family got caught in a tornado called fame, and who is still trying to sort through the debris scattered all over her life in the aftermath. It's who I am, warts and all, with some true confessions that took a long time to get up the nerve to discuss."

I liked this book more than I thought I would. I figured it would be some tabloid-esque piece of trivia. What I found, instead, was a thoughtful book written by a loving mother. Lynne shares her story and that of her famous family. She shares the ups and downs as well as her fears.

An incredibly easy book to read and while somewhat shallow and trivial, I came away with the impression that Lynne was very naive and trusting when it came to allowing her daughters to pursue their dreams of entertaining. She blindly trusted too many people, rather than educating herself about the entertainment world and taking an active role in her daughters' careers.

I also understood her fear and distrust of the media. I believe very little of what I read and hear reported by media outlets. I think that the entertainment media, especially, have a distinct lack of integrity in their reporting.

I don't follow Britney Spears in the media. I really don't care about her or her life. I did, however, appreciate the viewpoint her mother gives about how difficult life in the public eye can be. I'm sure that Lynne Spears is a loving, concerned mother just like the rest of us. Parenting itself is difficult, parenting in a fishbowl must be a nightmare.

Thanks to my local library for having a copy I could borrow.

Read 10/08

* * 

2/5 Stars

Comments

  1. I think that a lot of people look at the Spears' family and think: "What were they thinking?!" I try to remind myself that, we are all doing the best we can. I think you are right: parenting in a fishbowl must be a night-mare.

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