Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business

Rating:
Summary: A Real Life Country Song
Review: Five minutes of fame has now become enough to justify penning one's self-serving autobiography. Fortunately, Dolly Parton's 30+year career is suitable for book-length, and she avoids the standard celebrity tell-all fare in favor of interesting vignettes.

Her life is a Cinderella-story that would put any fairy-godmother to shame. Her interesting existence commenced with a delivery paid via a pig since her farming parents were short on cash. From such humble beginnings she went to become one of the richest women in the world. Tantalizing tidbits about her fellow country singers and some Hollywood hotshots pepper the pages, as do tales that illumine life amidst a large Appalachian family. She has often described her brood as "only financially poor" and that positive attitude not only permeates the book, she portrays such a blessed childhood that the allegation rings completely true.

Thankfully avoiding the gory details of typical star bios (think Cybil Shepherd Whoopi Goldberg, etc.), Dolly realizes there are some facts that fans need not know. Her boasted Christianity is practiced with a few question marks, and some facets of her life do appear curious. Still she succeeds in presenting just enough (but never too much) of the private side of her ultra-public persona.

Readers see how she has lived out many of the lyrics of her enumerable self-penned country songs. Upon completion of this autobiography many will return it to their bookshelves softly singing "In My Tennessee Mountain Home."

Rating:
Summary: Wildly funny!
Review: Ms. Parton writes a story as well as a song. You'd think it was your best friend sitting right next to you telling you her life; with plenty of kindness and humor thrown in.

Even if you're not a country music fan, this book is a wonderfully entertaining and funny account of a womans rise from a cabin with "2 rooms and a path" to wealth, while maintaining the values and beliefs she was raised with.

Her storytelling kept me laughing out loud!

Rating:
Summary: Thanks very much, Dolly!
Review: This book is really wonderful, I love all the parts about Dolly's childhood.This book is like a friend to you. Once you begin to read it, you can't put it down until you've finished at least three chapters.Dolly puts plenty of love, emotion and humor into this, and i have found it a terrific read.