Shania Twain's autobiography, "From This Moment On", was released in May 2011 as she crawled her way back into the limelight. After approximately five years of self-induced relative seclusion, Twain re-emerged on the talk show circuit to promote her book. The same month, she debuted a reality show on the Oprah Winfrey Network about her life, "Why Not? with Shania Twain." Also in that month, Twain released her first single in six years, "Today is Your Day." Twain is back with a vengeance!
Twain's Childhood
Most fans of Twain know she didn't have an idyllic childhood and this book shares all the details. Raised in extreme poverty for the first dozen years of her life, Twain considered herself blessed when she had running water and any food in the pantry. On her best days, she had a mustard sandwich for lunch in her school backpack although most days she had nothing. To get clothes, Twain would go dumpster diving. To get clean, she bathed in a river.
In her mid-teens, Twain's mother and step-father landed a job planting trees. The Twain family now had money for things that were previously considered luxuries - indoor plumbing, a house they rented for more than three months before being evicted, and enough food in their bellies to not feel hungry. Twain worked summers in the forest with her parent's business. Stories of her time in the woods with gentle men and blood-thirsty mosquitoes will have you laughing.
Twain Hits it Big
When Twain was 22 and struggling to make it in the music business in Ontario, Canada, her parents died in an automobile accident, leaving Twain to take care of her younger siblings. She took on the responsibility and put the teenagers first while they grew into adults. Five years later, Twain put her music career front and centre again. After years of hard work, she was signed by Mercury Nashville Records and her rise to super-stardom ensued. Within a few years she was a worldwide phenomenon.
Twain and Love
Twain's first record caught the attention of mogul record producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Lange arranged to meet Twain at a fan fair in Nashville in June 1993 and the duo married in December of the same year. After 15 years of marriage, Twain found out Lange had been having a long-term affair with her best friend and a divorce followed. In the book, Twain goes into detail about how devastating the event was for her. Looking for solace, she turned to Frederic Thiebaud, the soon-to-be ex-husband of the woman her husband was sleeping with. The two clicked and fell in love. They married on January 1, 2011.
Two Thumbs Up
For anyone who is a Shania Twain fan, I highly recommend this book. You can hear Twain's voice come through as she shares stories of her life, especially when she describes pain and anguish. For someone looking for a fluff piece on a superstar's life, this is not the book for you. But if you want a candid look at the life of Shania Twain, pick up a copy of "From This Moment On."
(Side note - Shania Twain signed a two-year deal to sing at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Twain is scheduled to perform 60 shows per year beginning December 1, 2012.)
Book Details:
"From This Moment On" by Shania Twain
Release date - May 3, 2011
Published by Atria Books
448 pages including dozens of photographs
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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