She Come By It Natural
Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs
Published on 19. January 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-1-911590-51-4 (ISBN)
Description
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE
The world can't seem to get enough of Dolly Parton. Her image is blazoned across T-shirts, she burns on desks as blasphemous candles, and well into her seventies she continues to grace awards stages, arenas and talk shows where women of a certain age are rarely seen.
Yet not so long ago, Dolly was best known by many people as the punch line of a boob joke. So, what happened?
In this affectionate, sharply insightful book, Sarah Smarsh charts Dolly's meteoric rise against the backdrop of her working-class roots. Drawing on her own experience growing up in rural Kansas, Smarsh crafts a resonant portrait of Parton's cultural importance, above all for the often-unheard women who populate her songs: struggling mothers, pregnant teenagers, diner waitresses with deadbeat boyfriends. Candid, intimate and searching, She Come By It Natural captures the enduring appeal of this singular star.
The world can't seem to get enough of Dolly Parton. Her image is blazoned across T-shirts, she burns on desks as blasphemous candles, and well into her seventies she continues to grace awards stages, arenas and talk shows where women of a certain age are rarely seen.
Yet not so long ago, Dolly was best known by many people as the punch line of a boob joke. So, what happened?
In this affectionate, sharply insightful book, Sarah Smarsh charts Dolly's meteoric rise against the backdrop of her working-class roots. Drawing on her own experience growing up in rural Kansas, Smarsh crafts a resonant portrait of Parton's cultural importance, above all for the often-unheard women who populate her songs: struggling mothers, pregnant teenagers, diner waitresses with deadbeat boyfriends. Candid, intimate and searching, She Come By It Natural captures the enduring appeal of this singular star.
Reviews / Votes
[An] exhilarating reappraisal * The Times, Books of the Year * Compassionate and clear-sighted * Sunday Times Culture * An excellent study of the country queen reveals a nuanced political intelligence behind the glamour * Observer, Book of the Week * Thoughtful... sharply observed * Guardian, Book of the Day * Smarsh and Parton are a perfect pairing for the kind of 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 * Like Parton herself, She Come By It Natural offers a rare mouthpiece for a demographic that often goes unheard * Financial Times * Sarah Smarsh's biography reminds us of Dolly's energy and talent - and the philanthropy that has made her such a force for good * Spectator * A feminist story -- Mia Levitin * Monocle * An engaging mix of thoughtful profile and personal memories * iPaper * In She Come By It Natural, which is part-memoir and part-celebrity biography, Smarsh sets out to show how Dolly's songs, and the way she has lived her life, have influenced a generation of American women * Daily Mail * A praise song for the cultural icon... deeply personal * LA Times * Smarsh seamlessly weaves her family's experiences with Parton's biography-triumphs and shortcomings alike-and cultural context. She Come by It Natural is, as a result, a relatable examination of one of country music's brightest stars and an inspiring tale of what women can learn from one another * BookPage * Affectionate and astute ... Smarsh's luminescent prose and briskly tempered storytelling make for an illuminating take on a one-of-a-kind artist * Publishers Weekly (starred review) * A highly readable treat for music and feminist scholars as well as Parton's legion of fans * Kirkus Reviews * [She Come By It Natural] includes sharp social commentary and well-placed personal anecdotes, [and] is at its heart a love letter both to Parton and to the women who continue to see themselves in her songs * Shelf Awareness * A real labour of love that tells the remarkable story of Dolly but also of the women she sings about -- Marisa Bate * Writing About Women *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pushkin Press
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 132 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
200 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-911590-51-4 (9781911590514)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
01/2021
ONE
€9.59
Available for download
Person
Sarah Smarsh is a journalist who has covered socioeconomic class, politics and public policy for the New York Times, the Guardian, the New Yorker, Harper's 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. A recent research fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and former writing professor, Smarsh is a frequent speaker and commentator on economic inequality. She lives in Kansas.