She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs
Written by Sarah Smarsh
Narrated by Sarah Smarsh
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
Growing up amid Kansas wheat fields and airplane factories, Sarah Smarsh witnessed firsthand the particular vulnerabilities—and strengths—of women in working poverty. Meanwhile, country songs by female artists played in the background, telling powerful stories about life, men, hard times, and surviving. In her family, she writes, “country music was foremost a language among women. It’s how we talked to each other in a place where feelings aren’t discussed.” And no one provided that language better than Dolly Parton.
In this “tribute to the woman who continues to demonstrate that feminism comes in coats of many colors,” Smarsh tells readers how Parton’s songs have validated women who go unheard: the poor woman, the pregnant teenager, the struggling mother disparaged as “trailer trash.” Parton’s broader career—from singing on the front porch of her family’s cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains to achieving stardom in Nashville and Hollywood, from “girl singer” managed by powerful men to self-made mogul of business and philanthropy—offers a springboard to examining the intersections of gender, class, and culture.
Infused with Smarsh’s trademark insight, intelligence, and humanity, this is “an ambitious book” (The New Republic) about the icon Dolly Parton and an “in-depth examination into gender and class and what it means to be a woman and a working-class hero that feels particularly important right now” (Refinery29).
Editor's Note
For Dolly Parton fans…
If you love Dolly Parton (and who doesn’t?), this book’s for you. It’s also for anyone who loves the “Dolly Parton’s America” podcast (if you haven’t heard it, binge it now), which guest stars author Sarah Smarsh. In her new book, Smarsh expands on themes from her memoir “Heartland,” exploring the experiences of working-class women through the life and music of the country icon. Many of these women see themselves in Dolly’s songs, and like the singer, reject the label of “feminist” but fiercely live the spirit of the word.
Sarah Smarsh
Sarah Smarsh is a journalist who has reported for The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, The Guardian, and many other publications. Her first book, Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her second book, She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Smarsh is a frequent political commentator and speaker on socioeconomic class. She lives in Kansas.
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Reviews for She Come By It Natural
61 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a fantastic book! I could relate to a lot of what was written, even though my own experiences differ. I highly recommend it!
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The book definetly has a slat to the left with all the negative comments about our last president. That was not what I wanted to listen to. I wanted to learn and get to know Dolly Pardon. Also, there were too many references to the author's family.I found myself constantly trying to determine why the author was telling so many stories about Grandma Betty. The author did have some really great stories about Dolly
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book was a thousand times more insightful than I expected. Dolly is interesting subject matter to begin with, but Smarsh probes the depths of this fascinating star through the lens of her own self-awareness and that of generations of women. Dolly is a paradox, and more complex and intelligent than I ever gave her credit for, even as a fan. Smarsh did a stellar job, even if it is 99% praise of Dolly (but really, why wouldn’t it be? She has perfected her success formula for 50 years). Overall this is a beautiful and moving biography.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Well done! Although I have always loved Dolly Parton, I learned a lot more to love about her life and philanthropy ❤️