A Mother's Gift

Any diehard fan of Britney's will want to pick up a copy of this book. Fans will just need to keep in mind that, while the story line does bear some similarity to Britney's real life, it is a work of fiction.

Holly Faye Lovell is a fourteen-year-old living in a tiny town in Mississippi. Everyone says she has one of the best singing voices they have ever heard, but Holly doesn't think it will ever get her anywhere. She and her mother are poor, but happy.

Her relationship with her mother is a large part of the story. When Holly does get the chance to go to the prestigous Haverty School of Music, she finds her love for her mother compromised by her embarassment over how her mother looks and their lack of money.

A Mother's Gift is a classic tale of a poor girl who makes it good. The largest obstacles in Holly's way, once she gets to Haverty, are her own feelings of inadequacy and shame. All the other kids at Haverty are rich and have store bought clothes.

Her roomate, Ditz, is one of those rich kids. But luckily, Ditz is a nice person and takes Holly under her wing. In spite of the fact that Ditz is filthy rich, Holly finds that she can give Ditz some things (like insight into what a family should be all about) that money can't provide.

The ending of the novel provides a bit of a twist that some readers won't see coming. I recommend this book for any fan of Britney's, no matter the age. The language is simple enough for even her youngest fans to enjoy.