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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: $12.17
You Save: $12.82 (51%)
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Rating:  97 reviews
Sales Rank: 3957
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
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new book delivered from the UK in 10-14 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 92 more reviews...
 A Mother's Book December 4, 2008
I'll admit it, along with everyone else, I was glued to my computer screen watching the footage and following the gossip of Britney Spears' downward spiral. At the time, I was slightly addicted to a few of those "celebrity gossip" blogs, and I would faithfully check in every day, to see what craziness that girl had gotten up to while I'd been asleep the night before.
But, as much as I love celebrity gossip, I am also a sensitive person, and after a while, my heart ached for her. Something was obviously wrong with Britney, and she was obviously not getting the help she needed. All I kept thinking was where in the world was her mother in all this? Because my mom? She would have moved mountains to save me from the self-destruction Britney was imposing upon herself.
So, when I heard the rumor everyone else heard that Lynne would be writing a parenting book, I was outraged. THAT woman? She's writing a parenting book? What the hell does she have to say about parenting? And then her youngest daughter Jamie Lynn got pregnant at 16. Well, then it just sort of became a joke, didn't it? Lynne Spears, mother of the year.
And yet, I was curious, because there had to be more to the story.
So, when I was presented with the opportunity from Thomas Nelson Publishers to read and review the real Lynn Spears book, I jumped on it.
For the record, this is not a "parenting" book. And no, this is also not a "tell all" about Britney book.
It is a mother's book.
The story of a woman, a small town girl, a mother, a Christian, struggling to find her footing, again and again, in a world that threw more curveballs her way than the average person should ever have to deal with.
The story is told in a very personal way, and reads as if you are sitting with Lynne, having a cup of coffee and she's recalling events from her life.
It is sweet, it is sad, it is even funny at times. There is anguish and pain, but there is also much joy, and pride. Pride for her family, her three beautiful children, who she obviously loves more than life itself. This is obvious. Her story is also surprisingly (to me, because I was unaware of her faith) an extremely spiritual one. I found myself more than once nodding with agreement and understanding at her words. There were also moments I found myself wiping tears from my eyes.
I'll be honest, the book was not at all what I expected it to be, and I for one, was pleasantly surprised. I have new found respect for not only Lynne Spears, but for the entire Spears clan. I know I wouldn't want to be in their shoes, not for one minute. We're quick to say that there's a price to pay for fame, but sometimes we forget that "they" the rich and famous, are only human. And their families? They didn't sign up for this, they're just part of the machine that grinds them up, and spits them out.
And yes, if you are curious, you will learn a few more details about the whole Britney ordeal. But that is not what you will take away from this book.
Will this book keep me from following celebrity gossip? No. But it will remind me to think twice before I jump to judgment. To try and see the "story" behind the "story". Because there is always more to the story.
 Great book, very honest. December 4, 2008
I thought this book was actually very good. She comes accross as very honest, sincere and naive in the past... but alot of mothers are, and especially would be if they grew up the way she did with the family she had, which was a great one. And you can tell she is telling the truth. On a Los Angeles radio station around the time the book came out, they spread a bunch of rumors about her dishing all this juicy gossip in the book about what she let Britney do before she was famous (which are things that are not true.)and how she admits to being a terrible mom but the book is not like that at all (and thats not why i read it either.) She doesn't trash Britney nor does she defend her actions at all times, she is just a mom who doesn't have control over what her daughter does anymore and all moms will be in a position like that one day, some just sooner than others. I really believe she was never a stage mom and never thought it was possible for her daughter to become famous, she was just making her happy by letting her do activites out side of school that she loved to do and wasn't hurting anyone. She does admit to regrets and I think she sounds like a great person and I admire her for all she has to put up with. I think it was a great idea for her to get this book out there. It was very spiritually inspiring and I hope it inspires other people in faith as well. However if you are not a christian or religious you probably won't like this book. If you are a christian, I don't see how you can put her down for that like someone did in an earlier review. I do not think it was overly religious. Over all - great book. I only wished she could have given a little more details to things that happened all though I do understand why she would want to keep as much private as she can. Also she said she really wished she could still be a teacher but didn't say why she can't go back to teaching now. I think she should try if she really wants to do it again.
Decent book December 3, 2008
I recently picked up Through the Storm by Lynn Spears. It is an autobiography account briefly touching on all areas of her life. Brief would be the best word to describe it, mainly because Spears discusses many of the hardships "storms" in her life, but after a quick mention, leaves them. The book seems to take two halfs- the first, a purely autobiographical look at Lynn Spears' own life. In the second half, she seems much more defensive, and gives a much closer look into what happened with her daughter and her breakdown last year.
The entire book seems very informal and very journal like. Many times, I felt like I was reading a magazine article about her life, rather than an autobiography written by Spears' herself. That is my main problem with the book. I feel as though the story is incomplete- the transitions were rocky and her tales didn't seem complete. Honestly, I wasn't expecting every small detail of her life- but I did expect more than a gloss over. Also, a majority of the book was more about the problems Britney and Jamie-Lynn had, and a defense of that. I am not sure if that was the original intention of the book- but it definitely was not what I expected.
It was a decent book, but not the best I had ever read.
Train up a child in the way he should go... December 2, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
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