An inspiring, passionate exploration of the life and work of Dolly Parton, and her deep significance for generations of working-class women

“Smarsh and Parton are the perfect pairing” REFINERY 29

The world can't seem to get enough of Dolly Parton. Her image is blazoned across T-shirts, she burns on desks as novelty devotional 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 own 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 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.