Dolly Parton is adored by fans not only for her musical hits or her prowess as an entertainer but also for her commitment to giving back. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library reaches across the globe, delivering millions of books to communities in need, ensuring that children from all walks of life have access to books. It’s only natural that Dolly lovers are book lovers too.
My latest book, Good Hair Days, is set in a small Southern town and follows two sisters who team up to save their family’s Dolly Parton-themed beauty shop. What starts out as a series of money-making hijinks pivots when younger sister, Junie, receives a life-altering diagnosis. The women are forced to dig deep, tell the truth and rely on the deep love between them to pull through.
Good Hair Days is a great read for Dolly Parton fans, and I’m sharing a few more recent releases that will do the same.
Sing Me Home to Carolina by Joy Callaway
In this Schitt’s Creek meets Hart of Dixie romance, event planner Hattie Norwood returns to her small, South Carolina hometown to help her parents with their infertile peanut farm. She stays on to plan a town musical benefit, and sparks fly in two different directions when an old flame and a new interest enter the scene. When the event is moved to the barn on her family’s farm, Hattie — and her love life — are thrust into the spotlight.
A musical benefit for the sake of a small Southern town? This swoony romance sounds right up Dolly’s avenue.
Leta Pearl’s Love Biscuits by Arlon Jay Staggs
Set in 1980’s Alabama, Trudy, a local with a storied past, fills the vacant chemistry teaching position at the high school while she prepares for her wedding to a prominent local politician. The new job forces Trudy to face her own high-school ghosts, and her mother’s love-inducing biscuits throw her love life for a loop. Eventually, she’s forced to decide: play it safe or risk it all for the life of her dreams.
There may not be a food more Southern than biscuits, nor a woman more Southern than Dolly Parton. They might just be a match made in Dollywood.
Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller
In a small Georgia town, Lula Dean, obsessed with banning books of which she disapproves, creates her own lending library with books she deems “appropriate.” A local troublemaker steals her books and replaces them with banned books, and the town people’s lives are changed by the books they read.
Dolly Parton gifted books far and wide through her Imagination Library. A little library, banned books or not, is certainly Dolly-approved.
Through an Open Window by Pamela Terry
Following the death of her husband, Margaret Elliott starts seeing visions of her late Aunt Edith, the woman who raised her. It becomes clear that a secret from Margaret’s past must be uncovered before she can find peace. With the support of her three adult children, she unravels the clues that appear to her and faces a secret she never knew was lurking in her past.
Through an Open Window is a deeply Southern story, complete with all of the atmospheric details that embody Dolly Parton’s strong connections to the South.
The Fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock
A sweeping Southern gothic tale set on remote Cumberland Island, GA, The Fabled Earth spans two timelines: 1932 and 1959. In 1932, an evening goes awry, resulting in lives being both lost and ruined. Decades later, in 1959, a double-exposed photograph raises questions about that fateful night back in 1932.
Few things are more Southern than ghost stories, and for the historical fiction lovers, this is one not to miss.
Whether it’s one from this list or another, Dolly loves it when her fans pick up a book or share one with a friend. Happy reading.
