Dolly Parton is one of America’s most recognized voices. From her duets with Porter Wagoner, to her songs made famous by movies, Dolly’s lyrics tell the stories of everyday life and are relatable for most Americans. Dolly Parton: Songteller recounts the stories behind these hit songs along with Dolly’s film appearances, Dollywood, and more.
The audio version of this book is narrated by Dolly herself with recordings of the songs she discusses interspersed between the chapters. If feels like the listened is having a conversation with Dolly over a cup of sweet tea in front porch rockers – you hear intimate details of her life and Dolly’s personality shines through the dialogue. Readers will get a feel for the heart behind the music or, as Dolly likes to say, the Heartstrings.
I give Dolly Parton: Songteller 5 out of 5 stars. I was impressed by the openness and honesty of Dolly’s comments on some of the more troublesome times in her career like when Wagoner sued her or the behind the scenes looks at the development of her musicals. The listener gets a feel for who Dolly really is behind the makeup and hair (something she also discusses in the book). For someone who can be so reserved with her private life, I feel like Dolly really opened up and lets her fans have a look at her life through this book.
If you are a fan of Dolly, Dollywood, country or bluegrass music, you should read this book. Dolly has been front and center of the music scene for almost 60 years and gives great insights into some of the industry’s most well-known members. I would also recommend this book to artists who are struggling with their craft – Dolly talks about her own struggles to create throughout the book. With some light references to drugs and sex, this book might not be appropriate for the younger readers under 13. I definitely recommend the audio version so you can hear Dolly tell it in her own words!
I chose Dolly Parton: Songteller as my autobiography read for July. The audio version of the book is currently included for Audible Unlimited subscribers as of the writing of this post. I have always been a huge fan of Dolly. Not only are her works amazing, but she is a woman who embraced her image and can poke fun at herself, too. I learned so much about her career and those around her by listening to this book. I was also excited to discover Dolly has released a few other books, including Run, Rose, Run with James Patterson, which I’m adding to my TBR stack now!
This post contains affiliate links.
What I’m Reading
- Current print book: How We Work, Leah Weiss, PhD
- Current audio book: The Radium Girls, Kate Moore
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Patriot Games, Tom Clancy
Discover more from Read With Lindsey
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
One thought on “Dolly Parton: Songteller”