Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #207080 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-01
• Released on: 2008-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 226 pages

From Publishers Weekly
One of the most embattled celebrity mothers in the U.S. pop culture landscape, first-time author Nelson has suffered repeated insults and accusations from son and rap star Eminem, aka Marshall Mathers, who paints her as a negligent (if not malignant) mother and drug abuser. In this memoir, Nelson tells her side of the story, coming clean with a detailed but defensive account of their complicated mother-son relationship. Beginning with her turbulent marriage to Mathers' father, Bruce, through her 2000 attempt to sue Marshall for defamation (she claims it was just a way to save her home from foreclosure) and their present estrangement, Nelson insists throughout that her only concern is for sons Marshall and Nathan; readers-especially the Eminem fans likely to fill her audience-may think she protests too much. Still, it's easy to believe the theatrical rapper exaggerates, and Nelson's insight-especially into Marshall's relationships with wife Kim and daughter Hailie-attest to an ongoing connection that he and/or the media may have obscured or denied. Though readers may find it hard to reconcile Debbie's claim never to have exploited her son in the pages of a tell-all about him (complete with baby pictures), Nelson's urgent voice sketches a tense but sympathetic portrait of the elusive, mercurial MC.
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Review
FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: One of the most embattled celebrity mothers in the U.S. pop culture landscape, first-time author Nelson has suffered repeated insults and accusations from son and rap star Eminem, aka Marshall Mathers, who paints her as a negligent (if not malignant) mother and drug abuser. In this memoir, Nelson tells her side of the story, coming clean with a detailed but defensive account of their complicated mother-son relationship. Beginning with her turbulent marriage to Mathers¹ father, Bruce, through her 2000 attempt to sue Marshall for defamation (she claims it was just a way to save her home from foreclosure) and their present estrangement, Nelson insists throughout that her only concern is for sons Marshall and Nathan; readers‹especially the Eminem fans likely to fill her audience‹may think she protests too much. Still, it¹s easy to believe the theatrical rapper exaggerates, and Nelson¹s insight‹especially into Marshall¹s relationships with wife Kim and daughter Hailie‹attest to an ongoing connection that he and/or the media may have obscured or denied. Though readers may find it hard to reconcile Debbie¹s claim never to have exploited her son in the pages of a tell-all about him (complete with baby pictures), Nelson¹s urgent voice sketches a tense but sympathetic portrait of the elusive, mercurial MC. (Nov.)

About the Author
As rap star Eminem’s mother, DEBBIE NELSON has suffered one of the worst public character assassinations in recent memory. Yet in her first book, Debbie proves she is, if nothing else, a survivor.

Customer Reviews

My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem
A shameful attempt to cash in on her sons fame. A fabricated account that proves a slow and boring read.

Perfect Mother
This book is obviously her lying, she wants to come off as the perfect mother, and NO mother is as perfect as she claimed she was. Boring Read, Do not buy this book.

Poor mom
I'm a huge Eminem fan ever since Slim Shady LP dropped back in '99. I was interested to hear what his mom had to say about all the trash talk from his lyrics, and gain some additional insight into the life of the young, unsigned Marshall.

I read the book in one sitting, all I can say is, Debbie, if you're reading this, I'm sorry for the hate and want nothing more than to just give you a hug. If you thought Em's life was bad, his mom puts him to shame with her sad, terrible, tragic story. Violent husbands, endless physical abuse, drunken beatings, gunpoint robberies, and so far none of this involves young Marshall, who amplified the problems and made her a global target of hate amongst fans and followers.

Turns out (assuming you believe her), the amount of times she's been intoxicated (on any substance) could be counted one one hand, she's always been a successful self-supportive business owner and owned the home Marshall and Kim lived in together, stating Marshall still hadn't left the nest entirely until he was signed to Interscope at 26. Speaking of Kim, Debbie has a deep hatred for her (you'll see why, dear god) but always loved and supported her son in everything he did, and is neither lawsuit-happy or a practicer of the Munchhausen-by-proxy behavior alluded to in the infamous lyrics. She just had a very troubled first son and a very sickly second (possibly the result of her being pushed down stairs by her drunken third husband seven months into pregnancy, resulting in a premature birth).

I love Em, come on, his contributions to the hip-hop genre have elevated and evolved the artful expression of rap to new heights and inspired a legion of followers, but his crucifixion of his mom should have ended at the lyrics, in real life she just wanted to have a conversation with her son, talk to him, laugh and be with him and his family like the times before he was an icon. The money didn't interest her--she just wants to be an object of affection by the son she put so much work into raising and supporting.

I really hope those two can make up, perhaps Relapse will address this.

As for the writing and content, Debbie's voice comes across as a bit simplistic and at times naive, the edits and additions by her assistant are obvious and distracting, and many of her points are overstated and repeated, but overall it's not deterring, and there's plenty of interesting information to keep fans and the curious turning pages.

In the end, I don't think she entirely 'gets' the Slim Shady persona and the 10 million dollar lawsuit (regardless of who's idea it was--she claims her lawyer made the decision to sue without her consent) probably didn't win her any bonus points with Marshall, but she still loves her son and Hailie and deserves to be part of the family after all this time, read this book and you are sure to agree.