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Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World | 
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| Authors: Lynne Spears, Lorilee Craker
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $11.50
You Save: $13.49 (54%)
New (49) Used (17) from $11.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  94 reviews
Sales Rank: 3192
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.7
ISBN: 1595551565
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.099
EAN: 9781595551566
ASIN: 1595551565
Publication Date: September 16, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
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."
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| Customer Reviews: Read 89 more reviews...
 Train up a child in the way he should go... December 2, 2008
First, my own confession: I read this book because I'm a blogger for Thomas Nelson. It was a quick read, and filled the time nicely as we drove to our holiday campground. I wouldn't classify it as a Christian book.
I was prepared to read the book with a jaundiced eye toward the entire Spears family, mainly because I considered Britney to be a bad example for my daughters. To tell the truth, I was a bit shocked to see Lynne Spears' story marketed by a major Christian publishing house. After all in 2003, Britney kissed Madonna in a media event I'd like to forget. `Nuf said concerning her morality. Britney's association with Madonna alone was enough to keep me away from her and her family.
Since the Thomas Nelson folks were kind enough to give me a free book, I did my homework before I cracked its spine. I watched Lynne Spears' interviews and tried to understand her motive for writing the book. What I took away was that she wrote it for her children, and someone talked her into publishing it.
That changed my outlook, as I have often wanted to write my life philosophy and story for my children. I have also spent sleepless nights worrying about decisions my adult children have made. So I started reading with the hope that I'd find a kindred spirit in Britney's mom.
Lynne Spears began her tale by telling the reader that the book is not:
parenting advice
a guide for stage moms
a juicy tell-all
a source for dirt on her kids
She also said she is not trying to persuade people to think well of her or to change their minds about her. Since I had no opinion about her whatsoever, I was ready to be open to what she had to say.
She then laid out what she wanted the book to accomplish. Her biggest reason for writing the book was tied to the loss of her sister Sandra, who died recently. Specifically, Lynne said: "I took a good look at myself and realized that if God were to take me, I wanted my children to know what my thoughts were about the most important elements of this life."
After I read that statement, I was excited to read the book, because in its pages, a woman who loves God was going to instruct her children. I just knew the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ would be laid out simply and the plan of salvation clearly so her children wouldn't miss it.
That wasn't the case. Somehow Lynne or her writing assistant missed the great opportunity to share the good news with her children and many readers. Instead, it got lost in a bunch of spiritual mush.
Lynne laid out the grace, mercy, and compassion of God throughout the book with such phrases as "God's abiding strength and comfort," or "God held me in his strong hands," or "God had opened door after door" (concerning Britney's career). But she never addressed the holiness of God. As I was reading, I was thinking "Can she honestly think that a HOLY God would answer her prayers that "Baby One More Time" would "somehow notch the Top Forty?"' (Sample Lyrics: "Oh Baby Baby the reason I breathe is you. Now boy you got me blinded.")
Lynne's love for her children shone through the book, however, and I can understand her devotion to them and their careers. But devotion becomes reckless when their spiritual lives are at risk. In her chapters concerning Britney's rise to fame, she said: "day after day, week after week, year after year, during that era, Britney would be wearing out the floor with her dance steps and tearing off the roof of our house with the latest hit by Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, or Madonna. She was, in a word, unstoppable."
During that same time Lynne referred to, I was raising a daughter who was Britney's age. She wasn't allowed to listen to any of the artists mentioned, let alone sing their music. We didn't allow the lyrics, or the scantily clad women who delivered them into our homes via television, radio, or CD. Was Lynne out to lunch on this?
Later in the book, Lynne said she wanted to make Britney's dreams come true. She said "What I didn't know then was exactly what her dream was: to become a pop star like Madonna or Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston. She never said this out loud though."
Pardon me? I thought Britney was shouting her intentions in this regard when she was "tearing off the roof" of Lynne's house! And so the book flops from Lynne's feigned innocence concerning her children's friends, managers, and motives to her regret for having been bamboozled by the same. She seems to want her readers to believe she was a victim of her circumstances with no control over how things turned out, while at the same time a practicing Christian. Her narrative wavered between "I am a strong advocate for my children" and "I'm just a simple southern school teacher" -- who was blindsided by bad people.
She alluded to her husband rededicating his life to God (not Christ), but never mentioned that he had any tangible faith in the first place. She even said she knew early on that he was a "bad boy," but she hoped it was a phase he'd pass through. Similarly, she acknowledged that their marriage started on their own terms, without the blessing of her parents. Instead of giving this act a name such as "rebellion" against her parents, she sugarcoated it by saying "in my era people married young" and that they spoke their vows "on our own terms" (read - we eloped and broke my parents' hearts).
What was her "era?" That was my "era" too, and I remember it as one of sex, drugs, rock-n-roll, rebellion, and feminism. People weren't necessarily marrying young, they lived together! When I acted out against my parents, I was in rebellion. Were we living in a parallel universe?
Toward the end of the book, Lynne talked about her faith in less lukewarm terms, with hope-filled sentiments for each of her children. In a little message to her son Bryan, she said all things are possible through "Christ our Lord." She mentioned the word "Jesus" one time when she quoted a line from the movie "Juno."
I could discern, however, that Lynne has grown in her faith, and I have to give her credit for making it through the crucible of pain. She's suffered some horrendous tragedies, and came out praising God. Here's a list of the difficult things she's endured, and explained throughout the book:
Married young to an alcoholic
Father killed in a freak accident
First baby, Bryan, almost died twice
While transporting her seriously injured brother, Lynne was run off the road and her car struck and killed a 12-year-old boy.
Her mother had a bad reaction to a surgery, leading to mini-strokes and eventually a drowning death.
Her sister, who was her best friend, supporter, and confidant, died of cancer recently.
She and her husband declared bankruptcy.
She divorced her husband.
Britney has been rebellious since at least age 18 and has had some terrible fallout for her bad decisions.
Jamie Lynn's recent out-of-wedlock pregnancy caused another media storm.
What I took away from the book was that the Spears family is a lot like many other families in the United States - broken. It is a cautionary tale about getting what you wish for and not being able to get what you used to have back. It made me want to do an even better job of guarding my children's hearts and minds from the world.
In a vague reference to salvation, she said: "God takes our failures and exchanges them for release and rescue. It's called redemption."
Hmm. How about this: We are all wretched sinners with no hope of saving ourselves. God sent His son, Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, to become sin on our behalf. As God's perfect sacrifice for us, Jesus died a terrible death on a cross, was buried, and rose again in glory to be seated at the right hand of the Father, so that if we repent and put our trust in Him, we will be saved.
That's called redemption, and we all need it - famous and obscure.
 Through the Storm December 1, 2008
I'm guilty of reading the headlines of the tabloids when I stand in line at the grocery store check out. Lynne Spears says that defending herself on behalf of the lies and cruelty regarding her parenting choices is a waste of ink. So what is the purpose behind her biographical work, Through the Storm: The Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World? The back cover copy says "We all want our children to succeed. What happens when they do?"
Spears writes an update on her exploited family which includes actress/singers Britney and Jamie Lynn. She tells her story compellingly - it's about her and her choices, not about the children. She questions her choices and challenges to do what she thought best to share her children's gifts in public performance. Yet it's not a parenting story, Spears readily admits. She writes to honor the memory of her sister and a special friend. Spears's timeline comes out in fits and chunks - an event, and then a backtrack to how the event came about. There are a number of missing pieces in the story, as well. For instance, who ran the fitness center the Spears' built and why was the husband out of town so much on business that failed constantly? She used journals to make certain of dates and experiences. Her poems to her children were beautiful.
Would picking up this book mean contributing to the exploitation of a famous family? Who's really guilty of exploiting the family? Those who think they own public figures or those who continue to publicize their own issues? There are many issues that are good for parents to consider when confronted with a truly gifted child. Parents should decide for themselves what success means, whether it's happiness at home or whether it means being a household name. How far do you push or hold back, and at what age? Perhaps in the end, Spears wants to make sure that other parents avoid some of the heartache she's gone through.
Britney has a good mom--A Must Read! December 1, 2008
I just finished reading Through the Storm by Lynne Spears, Britney Spears mom. Wow, what an amazing book. In this book she shares about her life from before Britney's fame, to during it, to where she is now. Lynne shares openly and honestly about her life, and what I really noticed was how highly she spoke of all her kids as well as her good friends. She even spoke well of Jamie, her ex-husband. Despite the big struggles she faced in their marriage due to Jamie's alcoholism, she still spoke of all his good qualities. That's character right there. She went through so much, and gives God all the credit and glory for his faithfulness in her life. It opened my eyes to the fact that famous or not, people are people. Even famous people have stories just like all of us do. Here are several big things I took away from this book:
#1 Fame is not all that it's cracked up to be.
#2 People are quick to judge celebrities, unfairly.
#3 Britney has a good mom.
I would like to expound upon that last point. Britney's mom is amazing. She certainly has gone through many storms in her life, and the way life goes I'm sure more will come. But she's so strong. You guys read the book, and you'll see. She's so strong. And she's prayed and gone to God and He has delivered her and her children from many different trying situations. I think more than anything it has given me a heart for the Spears family and an even greater disappointment with the tabloids and paparazzi. It reminds me that as a Christian, celebrities and their families need our prayer and support. Thank you, Lynne, for sharing your story.
2.5 out of a possible 5 November 30, 2008
I know, I know. You're asking yourself the same thing I am - what's a hip-hop loving, boy band hating guy like myself doing reading a book by the mom of one of the biggest pop stars we've ever known? Shouldn't I be reviewing "Whatever you say I am" or "Rhyming and Stealing..." or even "Hey Ya!"?
Well - truth be told - the publisher of the book, Thomas Nelson Publishing, invited bloggers who like to read to get some free books and review them.
There ya have it - bloggers who like to read - that's all me.
And I'd be lying if I said the pop culture hollywood gossip-seeking voyeur in me (come on - it's in all of us - you know it is...) wasn't interested in a peek inside the world of Britney Spears. I was also intrigued by her rise to fame, how she dealt with it and the subsuquent crumbling in the limelight and how the public seemed to enjoy and almost encourage all of it. Not to mention that her mom is a Christian and the CEO of like the biggest Christian publisher found her manuscript very compelling.
So there - that's why the book is in my hands. It showed up free in my mailbox. Now - for the review.
"Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World" is a tell-all of sorts from Lynne Spears - mother of Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears. She kicks it off with some background on herself, her parents and her upbringing and takes you right up to and through her kids' births and their rise to stardom.
The whole thing actually reads like a bad blog. It's a little random - kind of jumps around and seems to lack a focus or straight path. But listen - don't take that the wrong way. I have plenty of blogs in my Google reader that aren't going to win any awards for writing style - but that doesn't make them any less interesting. Sometimes the rawness of that approach can make them even more appealing.
The author gains some extra points for her willingness to be as open and transparent as anyone could be. She doesn't ALWAYS blame the media and papparazzi (though she does her fair share of that) and she owns up to problems time and again. Towards the end of the book - which coincides with the absolute downward spiral of the "Britney Spears Show" culminating in the very public crash and burn of aforementioned pop star - Lynne appears to either be struggling with the writing or the media or life as a whole. The last 30 pages may have been the hardest to read - simply because she seemd to fall off track and to be honest - some things read like excuses and were at times hard to believe (for example - who takes a call from someone they've never met or heard of offering them a job selling cubic zirconias - and accepts it??).
Overall - I would agree with Thomas Nelson CEO Michael Hyatt - a very compelling read that does lend some insight to some of the things we saw happen in the media and may have perceived differently than they actually were.
Meron gives her 2.5 books out of a possible 5.
 Uninteresting and Poorly Written November 29, 2008
I'm glad Lynne Spears did not write a tell-all book about her famous daughters. But what she did write is incredibly uninteresting. A whole chapter on who her girlfriends are? I don't care; do you? Skillful writers have written compelling memoirs about their families without violating privacy. Unfortunately, Lynne Spears is not a skillful writer, nor does she claim to be, and she didn't have a skillful co-author. The book is poorly organized and disjointed. The numerous grammatical mistakes are so glaring as to be distracting. Thomas Nelson publishers did a real disservice to Spears by releasing such a sloppy product.
Apart from the construction mistakes, Spears stated purpose for writing this book--to show her children how much she loves them--doesn't ring true. It seems the book was written to justify her parenting style and the mistakes she's made. It would have been refreshing had she just said so. I can completely understand why she would want to defend herself in print. She's taken a lot of hits in the press and on TV. I think a much more interesting book would have been Through the Storm: A Misunderstood Mother Speaks Out.
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