67 pages • 2 hours read
Dolly Parton, James PattersonA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
In a promotional NPR interview, Dolly Parton commented that people who come to Nashville, Tennessee, are “running to something, and some are running from something. But mostly they’re running to a future” (Dreams do still come true, Martin). In other words, country music hopefuls, including her younger self, alight in Nashville wishing to draw a line between their past pain, poverty, and obscurity and their future success. However, Parton emphasized that despite the desire to leave one’s past behind, “it’s very important [to] tell the truth”—and that frustrating experiences often inform good songwriting and a compelling voice (Martin).
Both AnnieLee and Ethan exemplify the idea of running away to run toward when they jump states and arrive in Nashville. Ethan runs from small-town notoriety in North Carolina, AnnieLee from poverty and sexual exploitation in Arkansas and Texas. Each finds salvation in country music, as studying others’ tunes and riffs and composing their own songs distracts them from the past and forges a path forward. As they throw themselves into playing in honkytonks and building their careers, whether as country superstars or backing musicians, they continually banish the past from their thoughts and conversation.
Books Made into Movies
View Collection
Books on Justice & Injustice
View Collection
Challenging Authority
View Collection
Good & Evil
View Collection
Horror, Thrillers, & Suspense
View Collection
Music
View Collection
Mystery & Crime
View Collection
Popular Book Club Picks
View Collection
Power
View Collection
Pride & Shame
View Collection
Revenge
View Collection
Romance
View Collection
Safety & Danger
View Collection
Sexual Harassment & Violence
View Collection
The Power & Perils of Fame
View Collection
Trust & Doubt
View Collection
Truth & Lies
View Collection
Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love
View Collection
YA Horror, Thrillers, & Suspense
View Collection
YA Mystery & Crime
View Collection