The Woman in Me

Britney's memoir had bookish buzz months before it hit shelves. So naturally, I wanted to listen to the audiobook. I found this memoir to be an insightful and honest read that sheds light on Britney's rise to fame from a child star to the world-wide acclaim of her singing career. 

Britney gives context for her more public headlines, some of her decisions and what led her to acting out. Admittedly, not all of her decisions were the best, but she shares with her readers what she was thinking and why she made some of her decisions. 

Britney was molded into what her parents and the music business wanted her to be - a money-making popstar that was overly sexualized at a young age and then exploited and shamed for the image they gave her. I found it fascinating to learn more about her relationships with her parents, her sister and Justin Timerlake, but it was the thirteen year conservatorship that her family forced on her and the impact of the #freebritney movement that shocked me the most.

“Why was it so easy for everyone to forget that I was a human being—vulnerable enough that these headlines could leave a bruise?” (p 100)

The writing in this ghostwritten memoir isn't stellar and is repetitive in places, but her tragic story is authentically and simply told. It  helps to give voice to Britney and her experiences with her family, fame, exploitation and rampant sexism in the music business. Britney narrates the prologue with actor Michelle Williams' narrating the rest of the book superbly. I often forgot it wasn't Britney speaking, since they both have an innocent and breathy quality to their voices.

It's hard not to feel compassion for what Britney has lived through. There is no doubt that she is talented and has made mistakes, but I think Britney has a lot more to say and I hope that she finds her power as a woman, performer and mother so she can make future choices on her own terms.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Britney Spears

Genre: Memoir

Type and Source: eAudio from public library

Narrators: Michelle Williams (foreword by Britney Spears)

Run Time: 5.5 hours

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Audio

First Published: October 24, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.

B