This was heartbreaking to listen too. I don’t normally do audiobooks but I was kind of intrigued by Michelle Williams narration. She’s good. I think it’s a testament to her performance and the writing itself that I forgot it wasn’t Britney herself reading it. I am only a year younger than Britney. We are both December birthdays. I remember watching her on the Mickey Mouse Club and when she debuted with Baby One More Time and the controversy of the music video and then the Rolling Stone Magazine cover story. I read all about relationship with Justin and was all in on Justin when they broke up. I am not proud of what I said about her out loud to friends. The early 2000’s were not kind to young women and Britney bared most of the brunt. Over the years I have grown fond of her. We as a society really failed her and there is no amount of apologies we can say will make it up to her.

The Woman in Me, Britney spends most of her time talking about the conservatorship and let me say, her family can go to hell for all I care. How they can do that to their own daughter and say it’s for their own good is beyond me. Then again, we all went along with it. I remember all those People and US Weekly articles about what a great father Jaime Spears was and just look how much better she is. It’s kind of sick how we value women’s freedoms but then again, half of the states are currently outlawing abortions so it’s not that much of a stretch. She begins by telling us about her family history. Her Grandmother was also hospitalized to a mental institution and would later take her own life. Her Grandfather would also institutionalized as well. So it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that her father thought what he did to Britney was okay and for her own good. She gives us a glimpse of her childhood that fluctuated between her family doing well and barely getting by. Her father was an alcoholic would disappear for times and her mother would yell. Not the healthiest of family life She talks about her time on the Mickey Mouse club, getting signed and touring. Falling in love with Justin and outcome of their break up. Her marrying Kevin and the post partum depression, the paparazzi and the media scrutiny and how all of this lead to her public break down that led to her conservatorship. The heartbreaking reason she went along with it was because it was only way she would see her sons. How awful that they used her own kids to keep in her line.

It would be easy for Britney and well into her rights to really tear them all a new one but she actually shows them some compassion. She doesn’t let them off the hook by any means. She doesn’t hold back but she also understands that they have their issues too. I will say, it will be hard for me to listen to anything from Justin Timberlake again. I don’t want to say that his career is over but a comeback is going to be hard for him after her revelations. He made millions off making the world believe that she cheated on him and broke his heart. Let’s just say his song “What Comes Around” was more prophetic then he probably thought.

I honestly don’t think you have to a fan of Britney or even familiar with her story to get something out of this book. It’s an inspiring in a way. She has been through so much and yet she is still here. She still sees the good in the world and is finally living her life the way she want’s to live it. I hope we can all learn from her experiences and not judge women so harshly. To give people compassion because you never know what they are going through. And really, we all should be in therapy because we all have been through trauma in the last couple of years,