Detailing what’s been called “The Great Eminem Sham,” his mother, Debbie Nelson, tells all in her book, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem. His songs’ defamatory references to Debbie were heard ’round the world, but for the first time ever in the United States, we learn the truth from the woman labeled the most hated mother in America.
My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem
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Editorial Reviews
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.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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.) --Publishers Weekly
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
An Interesting Read But I Question Her Credibility,
This review is from: My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem: Setting the Record Straight on My Life as Eminem's Mother (Hardcover)
My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem is both the life story of Eminems mother Debbie Nelson and her interpretation of her sons life and her relationship with him. Debbie writes about their family history, their relationship, his passionate but notoriously stormy relationship with Kim, his early interest in music and how fame has impacted their lives. It is fairly well-written and makes for an engaging read but there were times I felt the book should be called "I'm Not A Bad Person" because that was the message she was clearly trying to hammer home to the reader by unnecessarily mentioning the charity work she does and compliments of being sweet and good that she gets from others.
A major problem I had with this book was that there are numerous assertions made by Debbie which do not stand up to any kind of scrutiny. Debbie make the following inaccurate claims: - that Eminem is controlled Kim and always gives into her but if that were true then he would not have released the songs about killing his wife which both Eminem and Kim have said she hated and did not want released - when Eminem and Kim first lived together Kim faked their burglaries but in fact Eminem witnessed the burglar and chased him (which makes me wonder how many of the other numerous accusations she makes about Kim are untrue) - Debbie took Nathan to visit Kims work and found that her receptionist job at a health spa was a cover for prostitution and there was a menu of sexual services available. Since prostitution is illegal in Michigan I don't believe that a brothel hand menus of sexual services to anyone who just walked in off the street - that the Kim Basinger character in the film 8 Mile comes onto her son. I have seen the film multiple times and that never happens. It really shows how delusional she is that she would have interpreted the affectionate scenes between mother and son that way. - that Brittany Murphy and Eminem never had a romantic or sexual relationship despite the actress confirming in interviews that they did - that Kims suicide attempt wasn't to be taken seriously because she has a history of attention seeking such as smashing up rooms. Damaging furniture is one thing but inflicting that kind of pain on yourself and risking your safety are the actions of someone who is very desperate and needs help not someone who is just having a temper tantrum - that Kim was the soul trouble-maker in the family home and Debbie always tried to keep the peace when her brother Todd, who dislikes Kim and takes his sisters side, has said that she deliberately caused arguments between her son and his girlfriend These inaccuracies raise questions about the validity of the contents of her book. I don't think the author is deliberately lying about most of these things but that she has problems with paranoia, she didn't check her facts properly and she sees things the way it suits her to see them especially when it comes to her former daughter-in-law who she has an obvious hatred for and who she is too ready to conveniently blame her problems with her son on. Debbie is obviously very unhappy and I felt a lot of sympathy with her reading this book. My impression of her is that she is a very troubled woman whose instabilities did lead her to behave in a way which was at times emotionally abusive. I do believe that she loves her kids and that she is capable of kindness and compassion but I did not buy her view that her only parenting faults were overindulgence and one cruel comment that she made while grief-stricken. She has had a very difficult life and while I don't believe everything she says I do feel that this book humanizes Debbie and gives you some insight into how her life turned out the way it did. Overall, if you are interested in the life of Eminem then you will most likely enjoy this book but I wouldn't take anything in it as fact.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting read, but frustrating at times...,
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This review is from: My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem: Setting the Record Straight on My Life as Eminem's Mother (Hardcover)
I have occassionally wondered if Eminem was being a little harsh about his mom, but after reading this book, I totally get it. I kept having to remind myself that this book was her defense of herself, a sanitized version of events, because even what she describes is hardly The Brady Bunch. They did move around a lot, they were on food stamps at various times, and I personally lost count of all the step-dads and boyfriends she talks about. Then there's the fact that she apparently left fairly young children home alone and they burned the house down. I think the most outrageous part was how she "accidentally" sued Eminem for 10 Million Dollars, and seemed genuinely puzzled as to why he was upset by this. It just seemed like she didn't want to take responsibility for anything. If you look back at his music, it seems like the songs about his mom didn't get really angry until The Marshall Mathers LP, after she had sued him. She complains about the notoriety she has recieved from Eminem's music, but she is really not helping her case by writing tell-all books about him, talking to the press and tabloids, and jumping on any talk show or documentary that will have her. It was interesting to read about the Mathers' family background and everything, but take it with a grain of salt and consider the source if you read this.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Different to expectations,
By Magic Lemur (Somewhere in Madagascar) - See all my reviews
This review is from: My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem: Setting the Record Straight on My Life as Eminem's Mother (Hardcover)
Before you click on the 'no' button, thinking me an Eminem hater (which I'm not) take a moment to read my review. This book is not what you would expect and was certainly not what I expected when I purchased it.
What I thought I'd get was a lame arsed apologetic for her being such a bad mother beginning with a shallow hood-winking attempt to win me over to her side before brain-washing me into believing that her son was really the devil. Fortunately, this book is, in the main, something of a love letter to her son. Eminem comes over as a genius, but also someone who has started to believe his own bull. Maybe Ms Mathers (as was) is a Machiavellian manipulater and has put on this whole act of being a caring mother, but something makes me doubt this particular theory. In fact, while reading I had a moment of clarity: even from Eminem's own words she doesn't seem that bad a person. I mean, yes: prescription drugs are bad (though better than E's) and maybe she does drink (although she claims 2 b teetotal). And the worst thing Eminem has said? That she wished he'd died in place of his uncle Ronnie, which apparently she said after he hadn't attended his funeral and for which she apologised profusely after. So, all in all, I thought this book was enlightening in showing Eminem's mother to not be the evil woman that is sometimes claimed. Yes, she may be naive and soft towards her son, but there are worse things. Maybe Eminem should bear in mind one of the suggestions on '100 things to do before you die': forgive your parents. I believe, after reading this book that she has almost certainly done the opposing corollary.
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