Through the Storm by Lynne Spears with Lorilee Craker

Have you ever thought of what it would be like to be the mother of a child who rose to fame almost instantly? It wouldn't be easy. In Through the Storm, Lynne Spears tells us how her southern family was changed forever when Britney became an 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 broke up because of his alcholism and abuse. She was 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 Jason Alexander is annulled and within three months she has married Kevin Federline. Two children follow in two years, which in itself is stressful. 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.

During this time, Lynne Spears worries about Britney and the children and finds that her youngest daughter, Jamie Lynn, is pregnant at fifteen years old. Though Lynne tries to protect her family from the tabloids, papparozi and the media, she finds it an impossible task. Then she learns that Britney is being controlled by a man who is supposed to be her manager. He hides her dog from her, won't let her go out of the house and holds his power over her. He is a taker.

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 is a great read for all those who are interested in the path of a mother who has climbed mountains and trudged through valleys. It is a must for every mother who is thinking of entering her daughter in beauty pagents and helping her find the road to fame. From a small Lousiana family to a household name, Spears has traveled a road that not many of us can relate to until we've read her book.

If you would like to read Lynne Spears' story, you can purchase the book HERE. I have reviewed it for the publisher, Thomas Nelson.