Book: Through the Storm

Today I'd like to share my review of Through the Storm by Lynne Spears. This is a review for Thomas Nelson publishers.

I was actually pleasantly surprised to read this book. I'll admit I agreed to review it out of a little bit of curiosity. I'm not that "in" to current culture although I have a general idea of what's going on. Needless to say, I knew plenty about Britney Spears.

I expected this book to be either a tell all or an attempt to justify Britney and her family. It doesn't come across as either. The story is written by Lynne, Britney's mom, and in a way it's really more of her autobiography than a story about Britney.

I was surprised to learn that she was a small town girl that felt way out of her league. I guess I assumed that parents of super stars would know what they were doing! I was also impressed at how openly she shared her personal struggles. It makes you realize that a) she's human and b) we might not have it any easier if we happened to be in her shoes.

My one criticism of the book is that it was hard to follow the time line. For a book chronicling 20+ years of her life (with flashbacks to her mother even) it's relatively short and the chapters jump around a bit too much. Since it is such a large period of time nothing is really that in depth. You get a page or two about each "episode" she's sharing about and then on to the next thing.

I wouldn't say this is the best book out there, but it's worth a read, if only for a glimpse of the real people behind the "super stars" in our culture!

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."

About the Author
Lynne Irene Bridges Spears has a degree in elementary education from Southeastern Louisiana University. She has three children: Bryan James, Britney Jean, and Jamie Lynn. Spears coauthored the novel A Mother's Gift with her daughter, Britney.

You can get more details at the Thomas Nelson site.