From This Moment On [Paperback]

I picked up this book because I saw an interview with Shania and was impressed with how she came across. There is so much BS in the entertainment business and Shania just seemed... different. I'm not a big country fan, but I liked HER. She chose her words carefully, was thoughtful and polite, and didn't seem phony and self-involved like 99% of the other celebrities I see on TV.

So I brought the book home (I've actually never read a celebrity autobiography) and honestly, I was blown away. I could not put it down. It was like a window into her life. It's clear that Shania is a very private person but she's taken a big risk here, and her book is like a conversation with an incredibly thoughtful, honest, and down-to-earth person.

I take issue with some of the comments that other reviewers have made about her parents, because I myself was particularly impressed by her take on the abuse. Her discussions about her parents weren't black-and-white, but instead were textured and nuanced, which is a lot closer to how we actually experience these things in real life. It's so easy to make other people into monsters and it's much, much more difficult to see them as people, which is what they are. We are all capable of incredible darkness given the right (or wrong) conditions. This is her story. She was there. I wasn't.

I walk away from this book amazed by a woman who has overcome a lot, and is still working through stuff (and is honest about it!). It was downright inspiring, and I don't say that with even a hint of sarcasm.

Was it the best book I have ever read? no it was not! Was it truly a literary gem? again, no; however, I have no regrets regarding its purchase. I read it in a few days and it captivated me - maybe because I have been residing in her hometown for many years, and I remember her vaguely in our McDonald, in our malls, and maybe even heard her sing in a local bar. And although I am no country music fan, I appreciate that many of her songs are great for dancing. What I know for certain is that she had a story to tell, and I was interested in knowing what it was: a young woman from Timmins who successfully made it in the Nashville scene and of whom our city is extremely proud.

I believe that her autobiography was as honest an account of herself as she could make at this time: her experiences, her feelings, and her perceptions. How easy it seems to be for others, who have no inkling of Shania Twain as Eilleen, to judge, criticize and comment on matters that truly do not concern them. Shania shared a gift of some her most personal experiences with the readers, a gift probably intended for her fans as well as for her son.

The respect she speaks of for her parents (her father in particular) is not uncommon for any abuse survivor - she needed to see her parents as they truly were, and to acknowledge their strengths just as much - if not more - as she needed to accept their weaknessses - this was crucial to her survival and recovery. For better or for worse they were her parents, her family, her circumstances - they were who they were, who she had, and she loved them.

As far as those pages of "vitriol" she apparently spewed at that "other woman," I believe that she showed much restraint: I kept thinking, while I read those few pages, that if I were to face a similar situation, I would want to destroy that other woman ....

In previous reviews, there are comments that she does not seem to blame Mutt ... well put yourself in her shoes: he is the father of her child, and she loved him at one time (this does not mean, however that she did not feel shock, absolute devastation, and eventually extreme anger.) This book is written so that her son will understand, and he will: she did not hide the fact that Mutt was complicit in the betrayal, that he failed to inform her himself that he believed their marriage was over, that he refused to communicate with her and work on it .... I believe that the main message she wants to give her son is that she knew that her relationship with Mutt was in trouble, that the end of the marriage devasted her, and that she needs to respect the fact that he remains Eja's father. Her commenting further on any negative feelings for Mutt, or even his relationship with his son could be toxic for Eja.

She may follow this up with a second book later on and reveal more as memories come to her, as she creates new memories, or as her perceptions change. - and maybe not. For a person who has kept so much hidden from others, she had chosen a courageous path that should enable her to heal... I would think that she will continue to be private in her relationships, as she has every right to be. I can only wish her the best "From this moment on"

The first part of this book looks at Shania's hardscrabble childhood in northern Ontario and is very compelling. The second part deals with her meeting Mutt, rise to fame and an honest account of her experiences in the music industry. Very interesting! The third part of the book deals with her marriage breakdown, her new relationship and growing older. This third section was the part that needed an honest editor. I was uncomfortable with a) the many pages devoted to vitriol at "the other woman" and b) the very end that read like a self-help manual for others. However, overall it was a good book, by a smart, talented and interesting person. I recommend it.