Now it's the Mom's Turn!

You would have to be living in a hole to be unaware of the antics of Britney Spears or the public scrutiny surrounding her sister Jamie Lynn’s pregnancy. But behind these two girls is a mother who you may not know much about. Now Lynne Spears sounds off in her new book, “Through the Storm”, just published by Thomas Nelson.

A lot of controversy surrounded this book even before it was released. Many billed this book as a parenting book and didn’t understand why a Christian imprint, Thomas Nelson, would want to publish it. But this book isn’t what you may think. It isn’t a book wherein Lynne Spears either defends or dishes dirt on her daughters. If you are looking for a tabloid, tell-all book then you will be disappointed.

Through the Storm is a book by a daughter, sister, wife and mother who simply tells her own story. As Lynne states in her introduction:

“It’s really 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.” (pg. ix)

Lynne discusses her childhood and speaks with great detail about her relationship with her now ex-husband Jamie.

According to Lynne, there was no master plan to get Britney into Hollywood and the music industry. Just like Lynne, we often make small decisions that lead to another and combined with some unexpected opportunities and events we find ourselves at a place we could have never expected or imagined. That is the story for the Spears family.  Lynn mentions how destructive instant fame was for them and their family:

“Not everyone who becomes famous does so in a split second.  Britney’s fame came around the corner, zooming at us at two hundred miles per hour.  Ben Affleck is right.  He said sudden fame is like being in a car wreck.  It comes at you fast, and you spin out of control.” (pg. 104)

They were thrust into fame, and were ill prepared to handle it. This fact coupled with the strained and fractured marriage between Jamie and Lynne meant their family didn’t have the emotional and spiritual buoyancy to handle all the pressures and influences that fame brought.  Also, Lynne realized how quickly she lost control in the lives of her children:

“When I saw the cover [The Rolling Stone], my heart sank, and my face burned with embarrassment and anger.  Oh my gosh.  How did this slip through the cracks?  How did this happen?  Already, lines were being crossed.  Yet I foolishly thought I was still in control, when in reality my authority was slipping with every day and every dollar being spent – and made- on my daughters’ career.” (pg. 110)

Through the Storm is a candid account of a wife and mother’s many regrets. Through it all, Lynne Spears is tenacious to persevere throughout it all and fight for her family. It is also a story of how her faith has kept her strong and how quickly and tragically she observed some of her own children walking away from their faith.

Through the Storm takes all the sensationalism of Britney and Jamie Lynn and boils it down to an undeniable fact – our shared humanity. Jamie, Britney and Jamie Lynn are part of a family that has made a lot of mistakes, faced a lot of scrutiny and pressures. They need our prayers, not our disdain.