Nominated for the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Award The National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Heartland focuses her laser-sharp insights on a working-class icon and one of the most unifying figures in American culture: Dolly Parton.Growing up amid Kansas wheat fields and airplane factories, Sarah Smarsh witnessed firsthand the particular vulnerabilities—and … 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.
Smarsh challenged a typically male vision of the rural working class with her first book, Heartland, starring the bold, hard-luck women who raised her. Now, in She Come By It Natural, originally published in a four-part series for The Journal of Roots Music, No Depression, Smarsh explores the overlooked contributions to social progress by such women—including those averse to the term “feminism”—as exemplified by Dolly Parton’s life and art.
Far beyond the recently resurrected “Jolene” or quintessential “9 to 5,” Parton’s songs for decades 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 leader of a self-made business and philanthropy empire—offers a springboard to examining the intersections of gender, class, and culture.
Infused with Smarsh’s trademark insight, intelligence, and humanity, She Come By It Natural is a sympathetic tribute to the icon Dolly Parton and—call it whatever you like—the organic feminism she embodies.
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This is the book I didn’t know I needed in my life! Reading about Dolly’s life, both personal and professional, was an unexpected grace during a hard season. With history, biography, and close-reading of Parton’s famous songs, Smarsh weaves a tale of female empowerment, brilliant songwriting, and the importance of self-expression. I always love to hear the behind-the-scenes stories of my favorite artists, and this one delivered on that count, as expected. But I was unprepared for the poignancy of reading Dolly’s story against the backdrop of our current cultural climate. Thank you, Sarah Smarsh, and thank you, Dolly Parton. This book is a joy.
Can we ever read too much about Dolly Parton and her amazing life? We cannot. Smarsh situates Parton’s ambition and action in the context of rural poverty, and her analysis adds a fascinating new angle to both Parton’s rise and what she’s chosen to do with the fruits of her labor.
While this book wasn’t what I expected based on the title, it’s one I enjoyed. It’s comprised of a series of articles Sarah Smarsh wrote in 2016 that focus on Dolly’s contributions to advancing the cause of women, especially those women living in rural poverty like Dolly (and the author) did.
Throughout the book, Smarsh compares her life and those of the women she grew up with to Dolly’s and the women in her songs. Though she won’t describe herself as a feminist, Dolly broke many barriers in her life and career, owning her sexuality and owning her music publishing, choosing not to have children, supporting the LGBTQ+ community, writing songs about topics men considered not radio-worthy and being a quiet but passionate philanthropist. There are so many aspects of Dolly’s life and career I didn’t know about and while this isn’t a biography, it gives a context to the impact she’s made:
“Whether Parton has another groundbreaking hit or not, her entire life is now understood to have broken ground – for female artists, for poor girls with dreams, for women who would like to be bosses without hiding their breasts.”
I look forward to reading more about this force of a woman who is proof that feminism comes in many forms.
Thanks to NetGalley, Scribner and the author for an advanced copy for me to review.
I’ve always liked Sarah Smarsh’s work. This book was a charming read on the iconic Dolly Parton.
I opted for the audiobook of this story because Ann Bogil of What Should I Read Next podcast recommended it. I loved it, Dolly is one of my favorite people and a wonderful entertainer. Smarsh delves into Dolly’s childhood, Dollywood, her rise to fame and her movie career. She never publishes her acts of kindness, but she is a prolific ‘giver’. It was a bright spot for me.
A bit of padding here and there, but with information and insights you probably didn’t have even if you are a true Dolly fan.
The author put her own political spin on Dolly’s life and achievements, often detailing her own life in an effort to show parallels.
It satisfied some of my curiosity about Dolly
A warm-hearted journey into what Dolly means to generations of women who saw their lives reflected in her songs, who first embraced her not as a star but a sister.