Lynne was just an ordinary Southern mom when the overnight success of her daughter Britney shoved the Spears family into the blinding limelight glare.
Through the Storm takes readers beyond the reach of the paparazzi and outside the narrow orbit of the Hollywood glitterati to share the inside story of the Spears family-as only a mother can tell it. In this openhearted memoir, Lynne speaks about Britney, Jamie Lynn, Bryan, ex-husband Jamie, herself, and their lives together from Louisiana to Los Angeles, including:
Lynne's backseat role in Britney's path to fame and how it forever changed their family
Her regret in abdicating parental authority to managers, agents, and record companies
The challenges that shaped Lynne and Jamie's marriage and how that affected Bryan, Britney, and Jamie Lynn
Her response to Jamie Lynn's pregnancy
The startling events that led to Britney's meltdown and Lynne's showdown with manager Sam Lufti
How faith, family, and friendships have been her harbor in the storm of paparazzi, tabloid scribblers, and gossip hound s
Sincere, self-effacing, sometimes spunky, Lynne's memoir reveals the heart of a mother who has struggled through difficult times and how she has held onto her faith and her sense of humor as she tries to hold onto her family.
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."
Average Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars(3.5 out of 5 stars)
8 of 10 Reviews Showing:(View All Reviews)
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Melissa Mashburn (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), June 08, 2009
Ok, I have to tell you that this is the very first time I have "officially" written a review of a book that I have read. I have read so many books over the years and have always passed along my two cents to my friends, especially when I found one that I just *knew* everyone should read.
When I stumbled upon the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers I thought...ok, this is so right up my alley and jumped in with both feet. I picked a book that I would probably never buy and wanted to read something that was completely different than anything I have picked up before, and boy was I not disappointed with the book "Through the Storm" by Lynne Spears.
One of my girlfriends saw that I was reading the book one day in the coffee shop and mentioned to me that she was surprised that I would be reading something about the Spears family and I have to admit, for a minute I was a little embarrassed about it.
But then I realized something that I cling to each and every day and that is Romans 8:1 (NIV), "There is NO condemnation in Christ" (emphasis mine, and yes, I am paraphrasing). This allowed me to read through this book with an open heart and open mind, and I am so glad that I did.
Through her gentle southern charm there is an ease while reading this book that feels like you are sitting on the back porch drinking sweat tea with an old friend. You laugh, you cry, and your heart truly aches for the journey this family has been on.
My eyes have been opened and I am so thankful that I chose a book that was so completely out of the "norm" for me. What a great opportunity to step outside the box a little bit and extend grace where so many others want to judge.
If you get a chance I think you will be pleasantly surprised by this sweet little book that's written from a Mother's Heart as she walks "Through the Storm".
2 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kathy Pedersen (Sheboygan, Wisconsin), May 26, 2009
Lynne Spears, mother of Jamie Lynn, Bryan, and Britney Spears, has written this memoir of the effect Britney’s sudden stardom at age 17 had on her family. Britney was always extremely close to her mother and loved to dance and sing from an early age. Her dance teachers suggested talent competitions for Britney to compete in, and her big break was winning a spot on the Mickey Mouse Club show at age 11. At the age of 16 she recorded her first album, and her song “Baby One More Time” skyrocketed to number one on the Billboard 200 charts in the USA. Then the Spears family saw how fame quickly took over their daughter’s life. Their own lives were also changed drastically, as Paparazzi sought them out from then on.
The book details Britney’s poor choices which led to several mental breakdowns. Lynne aims to show the reader that she was not a pushy stage Mom, but that Britney was self-determined to pursue the path to pop-star fame. Lynne talks of her own faith throughout the book, however she didn’t seem to have any influence in the faith of her children. She had nothing to say that encouraged my faith.
I had a difficult time making it all the way through this book. I actually began reading it four or five times and couldn’t get past the first few chapters. Sections of the book with descriptions of each of Lynne’s friends left me saying, “Who cares?” The book is pretty boring until the last chapters where Britney is being controlled by a man who somehow wormed his way into her life. Lynne keeps stating that she would do anything for her children, however I don’t think she did enough to supervise Britney’s entrance into the music world. She admits it was her mistake to trust that others knew more about the business than she did and she shouldn’t have let them make the decisions.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Fokke Kooistra (Almere, the Netherlands), May 04, 2009
The book is very well written. It is an easy read but not boring at all. Balanced and with tension are words that come to mind. Two things really stand out after reading this book:
1. Stars are just ordinary people not prepared for the things that come with stardom. In a sense the Spears family didn’t ask for a lot of things that came with the tremendous success of Britney. They just have a place where they grew up just as all of us. They come from the same planet. The people and the media treat stars as if they are from a different planet.
2. Your life is greatly affected by the choices you make. Thinking about big decisions in your life is really, really important. I see a sad combination of wrong choices, wrong people and bad luck as the factors that attributed to the trials this family went through. Lynne sums it up quite nicely somewhere in the book when she writes:
“I wish now I had trusted the professionals a little less and given myself more credit for my own instincts.”
Together with the fact that she puts here hope on GodI makes this book a strong story because not all whent well. In the end a glimpse of hope is evolving and I sure hope and pray that life will bring more joy for the Spears family.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Mary (Ontario, Canada), March 17, 2009
Have you ever thought of what it would be like to be the mother of a child who rose to fame almost instantly? In Through the Storm, Lynne Spears tells us how her southern family was changed forever when Britney became and overnight success.
Lynne's life hasn't been easy. She was highly influenced by her father, who was a farmer and her war bride mother. She married very young and did her best to make the marriage work. However, finally Lynne and Jamie break up because of his alcholism and abuse. She is on her own to raise Bryan, Britney and Jamie Lynn.
When Britney stars on the Mickey Mouse Club, she is very much in the spotlight. With the release of her album, Baby One More Time she becomes an overnight sensation. Britney's marriage to Justin Timberlake is annulled and within three months she has married Kevin Federline. Two children follow in two years. Then the couple breaks up and Kevin is awarded custody of the children. Britney then plummets into a world of substance abuse and mental lapses, not speaking to her mother for months.
Some things I read in Lynne's book raised a red flag. Why would a mother allow a photographer to shoot photos of young Britney in her bedroom when he insisted there could be no supervision? Was Lynne so naive that she didn't realize what he was up to? Did Lynne really believe that Jamie Lynn was a virgin just because her daughter said she was?
Though I don't agree with many of the decisions that Lynne made for her family, her pain is evident throughout the book. She pours out her heart and soul in hopes that other mothers will learn from her experiences.
This book comes highly recommended for those mothers who are trying to help their daughters achieve their goals of stardom.
1.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Alisa (Montreal Quebec Canada), March 05, 2009
I have always prayed for the Spears family, especially during Britney's 'meltdown' in 2007. Yet, I fail to see why this book is so praised. Lynn gives a lot of information-a little too much-about her daughters' personal lives. I really don't care if Britney lied about her virginity and did drugs at a young age. We could tell by what we saw her wear and do. This book has been endorsed so much by the Christian community, I expected SOME spiritual lesson to come from it. To me, it just magnifies how bad of a mother Lynn really was. It's an interesting read, but not anything that could benefit your spiritual life.
3 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Lauren Yarger (Granby, CT), February 24, 2009
What’s it like to be the mother of pop’s biggest singing star? Lynne Spears, mother of Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears, says it’s very much like the life any mother has – and very different.
In “Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World” (Thomas Nelson 2008), co-written with Lorilee Craker, Spears shares memories, personal experiences, photos and poetry to recount background and perspective on the “windstorm” of fame that blew through her and her family’s life.
Most of the first part of the book deals with Spears' own upbringing and the influence of her father, a farmer, and her mother, a war bride from London trying to adjust to life in rural Louisiana. She marries young and tries for years to make that marriage work before it finally succumbs to the stresses of her husband’s alcohol and abuse.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Emanuel Pavel (Vancouver, Canada), February 16, 2009
Lynne Spears nu apare cititorului din pozitia de expert in cresterea copiilor sau “super sfanta” la fel cum nu o ai ocazia sa o vezi doar ca mama lui Britney, ci si mama lui Bryan si Jamie Lynn. Pe masura ce depasesti mijlocul cartii mi-a trecut senzatia ca Lynne este “oportunistul de servciu” incercand sa castige ceva de pe urma faimei sau a scandalurilor din jurul ficei ei, Britney. Cartea se desfasoara pagina dupa pagina in fata cititorului ca un jurnal de viata, esti invitat sa rasfoiesti viata cuiva parcurgandu-i agenda, pare chiar un raport personal despre ea ca femeie, sotie, mama si starile prin care o inima de femeie trece la cel mai profund nivel.
Cartea apare ca o poveste interesanta in care intalnesti rand pe rand oameni obisnuiti si celebritati, orase mici si metropole, victime si ticalosi toate acestea parand a da o poveste de senzatie, dar la final iti dai seama ca toti intlnim in viata noastra, in proportii mai mici sau mari, asa ceva.
Ce se intampla cu o mama care intra in mijlocul furtunii pentru a-si salva copilul? Este cu siguranta prinsa si ea in centrifuga vartejului si bruscata haotic prin tot felul de evenimente. Traim intr-o lume in care media analizeaza fiecare miscare si puncteaza orice greseala. Nu e timp de iertare, e doar foame dupa senzatie, faima si dispret.
Lynne Spears, vorbeste fiecarui parinte din pozitie ei de mama de celebritate punctand credinta si relatia ei cu Dumenzeu care a ajutat-o si in momentul ascensiunii dar si in cel al caderii copilului ei. Vorbeste transparent despre probleme intalnite in viata, cu alcoolul, probleme financiare, boala, probleme in casnicie si nu arata o mama/femeie polizata lucios pentru a da bine in poza media. Arata o femeie care prin victorii si infrangeri, s-a relationant constant la Dumnezeu.
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5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Janet (Hinesville, GA), November 28, 2008
My heart has gone out to this mother for some time. I had heard that she’s a Christian and suspected that things hadn’t gone the way she’d hoped for her daughters. The media has been much too harsh with this family. When I learned of this book, I decided that if Lynne Spears wanted to have her say, I was willing to listen—with a compassionate, fellow mother’s heart.
This isn’t a story about Britney or Jamie Lynn. It’s Lynne’s story, including a testimony to God’s love and providence. It’s presented matter-of-factly: this happened and this happened and this is what I was thinking or feeling at the time. Lynne’s words are carefully thought out and presented with the love she obviously feels toward her family.
The book makes you think. Life is messy. We make choices to the best of our ability. But we can’t see very far down the road or even around the corner. We also have to live with the consequences of other people’s choices, wise or not, and with other inevitable trials of life: illness, accidents, death. Through it all, whatever happens, our fault or not, God is there. He carries us “through the storm.” He helps us clean up the mess.
I especially appreciated the final chapter, “A Mother’s Heart.” What a loving testimony from a mother who is praying for her children, cheering them on, and growing ever closer to her Lord as she trusts Him with them through the craziness of each day. The epilogue, a tribute to Lynne’s sister, is incredibly moving, too.
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