A Review

A Review of Through the Storm by Lynne Spears and Lorilee Craker for Thomas Nelson Publishers.

I must say I chose to read this book purely out of curiosity. Lynne Spears is the famous mother of the infamous Britney- a girl about my age who I have seen unravel before the public eye. I watched in shock as I saw a seemingly normal girl take a downward turn. I felt for her, and quite honestly felt the need to rush in and rescue her. So, when I saw that the mother of this very public figure had written a book with a Christian publishing company- well let’s just say curiosity got the better of me.
The best way to describe this book is a dinner table confession. I felt as though I was sharing a lovely southern meal with Lynne and she just starts sharing her life. The writing was not complex, nor well organized. It was like reading a one way conversation- somewhat scattered and simple. Most that is shared in this book are not new to most who even glance at the TV news occasionally. However, they come from the perspective of a loving, albeit in her own words, naïve mother whose daughter happened chanced on success so fast that there was no infrastructure to support it. It is easy to criticize and declare I would have done things differently than her, but I can’t. I have not been in the world that she and her family were thrust into nearly overnight.
Through the Storm is an honest conversation of a mother telling the world the truth about how her life unraveled. It’s not shocking or surprising. It does make you feel for her and think about other believing families who are against the forces at be in Hollywood. We are taught not to ‘judge a book by its cover’ when relating to people. Through the Storm shows the reader judging this family cannot be done on appearances alone, just as other families throughout the world, there are other forces that run deep. I appreciate Lynne’s openness and honesty in her reflections in this book. I wish there had been more emphasis throughout the book on her spiritual journey. I can honestly say that after reading this book, I will be less quick to judge and more quick to pray for families in her situation.