Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

What do you think about when you think of the mother of Britney Spears? Pushy showbiz mum? Debt-ridden trailer trash who divorced her husband and was bailed out financially by her daughter's mega-success? There's been plenty of trash written about Lynne Spears in the red tops and now she's taken the time to tell her own story and gently put the record straight. In true autobiographical style, you get to know her family's recent history and a glimpse into what can happen when sudden fame rips through your family bringing joys and sorrows in equal measure. You have to have some sympathy since Spears really wasn't equipped for the fame that happened to her daughter or indeed for the way in which the music business and media manipulates for its own ends. Ultimately the book is illuminating not because it kisses and tells you anything but simply lets you see how a mother's love for her children can break her heart. She devotes equal time to her other children - eldest son Bryan and youngest daughter Jamie Lynn who has had a successful TV career. Lynne Spears is a Christian so there is a thread of faith running through the book and it's clear that God has helped her cope with many trials in life. She describes marriage to an alcoholic husband, bankruptcy, divorce, the death of beloved family members and of course, the constant media pressure once Britney became a megastar. You can almost see the flashbulbs of the paparazzi lighting up her front door as everyone wanted a story. Ultimately Spears is a southern housewife and mother caught in the midst of extraordinary events and she candidly shares her triumphs and regrets and comes across as a very down to earth person who genuinely shares her successes and failures with the reader. She jokes that she wanted to originally call the book "It's All My Fault" since she seems to get a lot of blame for how her kids have turned out but in the end, she's a mother who is praying that her kids, particularly Britney, will come back to faith. Perhaps we should do the same!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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