From One Mom to Another

THE KEY IS LOVE BY MARIE OSMOND (NAL Books) by Kate Johns, Guest Reviewer

I read The Key is Love and found it overall to be a dull, confusing, but needed, clean read. If you are not a Marie Osmond fan, you may be lost in the beginning of this book. I didn’t know that Marie Osmond was still working so incredibly hard till this very day with numerous performing projects. According to Marie she has been working since she was three years old, and is still working today. And that’s while she raised eight children four of which she gave birth to and four of whom she adopted.

If you have not been following Marie Osmond’s life story you will be confused in the beginning of the book. This book must be Marie’s fifth or sixth book. A biography is not included. I looked it up online to find out how many kids she had, how many times she was married, and exactly what happened to her one adopted son who committed suicide.

I felt this book really needed a short bio of Marie’s life. We non-followers of Marie Osmond would have a clue as to what is going on. What would have been helpful would have been a synopsis in the beginning of the book of how many kids Marie had, their names, how old they all are currently, and a short bio. It also would have helped to add a bit of info in the beginning about her parents, and how old they were when they died. It would have helped if this book had included some information on what other books Marie wrote.

However, I did find it to be a fast, oftentimes good read. Marie gives parents many great tips on how to be great parents. She basically tells the story of how awesome, loving, caring, strict, and religious a mom her mother was and how she incorporates her mother’s wisdom into her own life every day. I have to say Marie glosses over many of the bad aspects of her life in this book, and she does not truly address some problems she has had in life; such as her one son committing suicide, and what led her to marrying her first husband again. “The Key is Love,” was actually too short in my humble opinion, talked a tad too much about religion and sounded a bit preachy at times. I also felt that Marie Osmond was sugar coating many bad aspects of her life. She struck me as a super positive person who pushes through everything. But passing out on the TV reality show, Dancing with the Stars was virtually sugar coated. This frightening scene was played out in front of millions to not really be explained.

However, I did see a woman who thinks of her children, and her family first, just as her mother did. Her mother obviously was a strong influence on Marie, and any reader can see that by reading this book. You could also hear Marie’s positive voice in this book. I found it interesting that, “The Key is Love.” was not filled with crass statements, blaming others for her problems, or any bitterness. It was awesome to read a book that was written by a strong, determined, fierce, as Tyra Banks would say, woman.

Marie brings her religious faith into the book, which was wonderful to read. It also was good to see that she is still here today after being a successful child star, and that she has not succumb to the hellish existence many other child stars often fall prey to. It was comforting and good to read that she has it together, and that Marie Osmond is a good mother. It was also good to see that she is not going to be the subject of some back stabbing, bitch fighting reality TV show.

Marie Osmond’s book, The Key is Love was a good read, kind of dull, but also a much needed read for every mother of teens everywhere!