From that point of time, the author followed Madonna's career closely, attending her concerts, and collecting interviews, magazines, and albums.

The first part is named "Baptism" and tells about Madonna's birth in Detroit, Michigan, her early childhood, her time in New York, and her dance degree.

It continues with the release of Ray of Light (1998) and subsequent four studio albums, her worldwide concert tours, her marriage to Guy Ritchie and controversies surrounding her adoption from Malawi.

She previously thought that Madonna "was that cheesy pop bimbo in lycra, writhing on a Venetian gondola for the 'Like a Virgin' video."

[1] In 2005, O'Brien started writing a book on Madonna, where she wanted to look at her life and work, as the artist was approaching the age of fifty.

[2] While talking to them, O'Brien reflected on her own childhood and found parallels with Madonna—being born in a Catholic family and gradually becoming aware of the rise of feminism and gay liberation.

He complimented O'Brien's writing style, especially the portions chronicling the death of Madonna's mother, as well as dissecting the recording process of the albums and the development of her concert tours.

Maybe that's because, at least since she hit the mass-culture spotlight in 1983 with 'Holiday' and hijacked it wholesale the next year with 'Like a Virgin' and 'Material Girl', Madonna, now 49, has lived her life in public like few other artists.

"[6] Lyn Barber from The Daily Telegraph gave a negative review of the book, calling it far inferior to author J. Randy Taraborrelli's Madonna: An Intimate Biography, released in 2002.