Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World
 | Average Customer Rating: Recommend 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… Product details and pricing info |
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83 Customer Reviews Posted
- A Stormy Life for Sure
- I just finished reading "Through the Storm---A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World" by Lynn Spears. Lynn is the mother of Brian, Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears. I must say it was a very interesting read and was one which opened my eyes to the `real' world of the entertainment business in our country.
Let me preface my review by saying that if you are looking for a tell-all expose' on the lives of Lynn Spears' two youngest daughters, then you will be very disappointed. If you are looking for an amazing story of a woman who found herself constantly having her faith put to the test and keeping that faith, then I believe you will be encouraged by this book.
To say I feel for Lynn Spears would be an understatement. Not only has she had to battle the public transgressions of her two famous daughters; but, she has had quite a few personal struggles which were never captured on a photographer's camera...her marriage, her upbringing, sickness in her family, etc. Yet, through it all, she repeatedly gives God the credit and the glory for keeping her `sane' in a rather insane whirlwind of a life. I think you will have your eyes opened and your heart challenged as you read this book. - 2008-11-18, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Through The Storrm a Painful Read
- One thing Through The Storm is not is a book on parenting, so get off that dead horse right now. It's more a mother's explanation of her family, albeit her very notable family. Mrs. Spears recounts her life and marriage and, as you might imagine, the birth and raising of her children. She touches on the large moments in their lives, but keeps the focus on her perceptions and reactions to the events. To its credit, Through the Storm is not a Tell-All in disguise, and it does offer a perspective of events that I suspect is absent from the frantic reporting on the Spears family. And yet, the book is still very much about Britney Spears and, to a lesser extent, Jamie Lynn.
The story is, in essence, both inspiring and tragic. A young woman from very humble beginnings ends up with a daughter whose talent changes all their lives, and not always for the better. There is indeed a dark side to what was a fairy-tale rise to fame. As to any claims that Mrs. Spears pushed Britney into her career, I can only say that long before Mrs. Spears attempts to address the issue, it was plain to me that Britney Spears was one of those children who did not need to be pushed. There are simply kids who are like that. From an early age, they burn with passion, whether it be for writing, football, science, or, even, singing. Given what she had on her hands, Mrs. Spears did a remarkable job.
That said, I had a lot of trouble getting through this book. It was often painfully difficult to read. Thankfully, it's not very long (206 pages). This book offers no personal insight whatsoever, no sense that its author has thought deeply about anything. It's written in such a simplistic manner that by the end of chapter one I wanted to tear out my eyeballs. That didn't change until the final two chapters, which were quite riveting despite there being massive logical gaps in the narrative.
There's no meat to this story. It's vapidly written and even more vapidly told. If Mrs. Spears has anything but superficial insight into herself or her children, it's not presented in these pages. Both girls are held up as idealized, sparkly and numbingly saccharine Stepford-esque daughters. You'd think her children were nothing but sweetness and light during their entire childhoods. And how could that be? They grew up in a house with an alcoholic father, where money was tight and their mother was doing whatever it took to keep them together financially and spiritually. Everyone involved in such a family pays a price, fame or no fame. And that's without the incredible stress of Britney's notoriety.
Through the Storm< offers a perspective missing from the sensationalized reports of the Spears family, but unless you don't mind reading a book written at a fourth-grade level, this is a pass. - 2008-11-16, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- For the busy parent
- I admit that at first I was unsure if I wanted to review this book. I'm not one to get caught up in all the silliness and absurdity that grows out of our societies unhealthy obsession with all things celebrity. But I would have to be either dead or extremely oblivious to not have at least heard of Lynne Spears.
I'm generally a trusting person- skepticism would not be listed by people who know me as a defining characteristic. However, I do employ a health dose of doubt for things like tabloids or gossip e-mails, and especially for talking heads on TV. So after seeing the medias handling of Lynne Spears- and especially after hearing Bill O'Reilly call her a pinhead- I knew I had to hear from Lynne herself.
Thankfully my curiosity was rewarded with a heartfelt and engrossing read. This book is no literary masterpiece, but it is a graceful, dignified memoir from the heart of a mother.
At times, Spears can come across as a bit defensive- but who wouldn't be in her position? These moments are far outweighed by her honest investigation into her own responsibility as a mother. The result is a much needed warning for parents of today: its easy to get wrapped up in the busy-ness of your children (soccer, singing, dance, etc.), but take the time to really be connected to your children and provide a place for them to be truly grounded.
This book is not for everyone- it can tend toward syrupy sweet naivete- but it is perfect for its target audience of soccer (hockey?) moms, and, yes, even for the concerned father of a beautiful baby girl. - 2008-11-16, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- "Through the Storm": Is it worth it?
- I have to admit that I'm something of a follower of the Britney Spears saga. Watching her crash and burn never gave me pleasure, but once I started caring about her I found I couldn't tear myself away. I saw a haunted look in her eyes that even how hasn't entirely gone away, and I wondered if her mom's book would reveal something about that.
Reveal it did, though not quite as I'd expected. I didn't know that Lynne was a devout Christian, nor that she had been as involved in her daughters' lives as she claims. And she makes many claims. At times, it's difficult to tell what is actually the truth, because Lynne's version is very different at points from what we've heard from the media. At the same time, her story seems logical. If things happened the way she says they did, it makes sense why they ended up the way they have. I don't think hers the only possible explanation, but it's a good one.
Regardless of the objective truth, I don't think Lynne lied in this book. What she and Lorilee wrote has a ring of authenticity that's hard to walk away from or deny. This is the story of what she truly thinks and believes is what happened, whether an outside observer would have a different opinion or not.
Not only does the book ring true, but it's well put-together and flows into and out of the different topics Lynne wants to discuss with relative ease. On top of that, Lynne has the unique point of view of someone who is both inside the music industry and outside of it, often at the same time. Her perspectives on everything from paparazzi to Britney's breakdown reflect this, and it's fascinating to read. All is not quite as it seems, and not quite as it should be, and we would do well to take notice.
Overall, I recommend this book. It probably won't knock you off your feet, but the new-and-different perspective on an industry we all know something about plus Lynne's deeply human voice make it worth the time and energy. - 2008-11-15, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- No shocking tell all, but Christian moms will like it
- Don't read this if you're looking for all the dirt on Britney, but if you are curious as to what it's like to parent famous teens/young adults, this book does the job.
- 2008-11-15, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
