DOLLY PARTON: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life, perfect for the Dolly superfan I know you know

DOLLY PARTON: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life
TRACEY E.W. LAIRD (ed.)
Epic Ink
$24.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Dolly Parton: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life is a beautifully illustrated celebration of a timeless icon who has shaped what it means to be a superstar.

Explore 100 remarkable moments in the extraordinary life of Dolly Parton with this illustrated retrospective of her most amazing achievements.

Everyone’s favorite country music star and American icon, Dolly Parton, has accomplished incredible things in her life, from releasing the hit “I Will Always Love You” to creating a nonprofit for children. This beautiful volume will take you on a journey through Dolly’s life. Look back on her star roles, hit songs, and philanthropic aspirations, all accompanied by photos from throughout the years.

Some of the notable moments you will find include:

At 13 years old, Dolly graced the stage at The Grand Ole Opry, easily the most prestigious country venue in Nashville

Dolly’s start in show business: Dolly launched her first country album, Hello, I’m Dolly, in 1967

Dolly’s rise to superstardom: her famous song “I Will Always Love you” hits the country music charts

Classic movie moments from 9 to 5 to The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas to Steel Magnolias

The creation of her incredibly popular resort and theme park, Dollywood

Dolly’s philanthropy efforts and her $1 million donation for COVID vaccine research

And so much more!

Dolly Parton: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life is a stunning tribute to your favorite all-American icon.

Each book in the 100 Remarkable Moments series is a stunning tribute to a different pop culture icon, visually chronicling 100 extraordinary events that define their legacy. Interviews with friends and colleagues, and over 100 magnificent photographs, combine to create an illustrated retrospective of achievements and contributions readers of all ages will enjoy.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: If you hate her music...think she's a crap actress...believe COVID vaccines are a hoax...you should still revere Miss Dolly. She created The Imagination Library, distributing books free to its 2.8 million (and counting) registered children in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Ireland...with intentions to expand to even more countries.

I, for the record, think she never got the credit she deserved as an actress, love her music, am grateful as hell for the COVID vaccines I've gotten that she helped fund, and think the Imagination Library is the crowning achievement of a long lifetime of making a positive difference in the world.

Think that's just hot air? I am far from the only person to think very, very highly of Miss Dolly, and the interviews collected by Editor Tracey Laird (a professor of music at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia; the author or editor of four books, and has contributed a chapter on “Country Music and Television” to the collection The Oxford Handbook of Country Music) come from every moment of the past sixty years Miss Dolly's been in the public eye.

This is definitely an illustrated gift book, make no mistake; but it is also a wonderful, involving overview of the life and times of an American icon. The casual country-music fan, the Dolly superfan, and the serious reader of lives of businesswomen (though this is vastly less thorough on that subject than UNLIKELY ANGEL: The Songs of Dolly Parton (q.v.) will all find a lot to enjoy in this book. If I hadn't already read it, I'd be asking for it for Yule this year.

So, since most of y'all will buy it as a gift to yourself or others because of the photos, let's take a look:

Beautiful book about a beautiful soul. Yule gift that only a Grinch wouldn't love.