Loretta Lynn’s classic memoir tells the story of her early life in Butcher Holler, Kentucky, and her amazing rise to the top of the music industry. Born into deep poverty, married at thirteen, mother of six, and a grandmother by the time she was twenty-nine, Loretta Lynn went on to become one of the most prolific and influential songwriters and singers in modern country music. Here we see the determination and talent that led to her trailblazing career and made her the first woman to be named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association and the first woman to receive a gold record in country music.
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"I really enjoyed this book. I knew a little bit about Loretta Lynn, but I had no idea her life was this dramatic! It reads just like you're sitting there listening to her tell you the whole story herself - and she's a good storyteller. The parts about her beginning are the best, where she talks about her mother papering the bedroom with magazine pages and hanging out with her cousin Marie 'cause they're both mean as snakes." — Blake (4 out of 5 stars)
"I really enjoyed this book. I knew a little bit about Loretta Lynn, but I had no idea her life was this dramatic! It reads just like you're sitting there listening to her tell you the whole story herself - and she's a good storyteller. The parts about her beginning are the best, where she talks about her mother papering the bedroom with magazine pages and hanging out with her cousin Marie 'cause they're both mean as snakes."
The Queen of country music.
" Sissy Spacek was Loretta Lynn's choice to read this audiobook. We all know the story. "
" I really enjoyed this book. She is a honest country woman at heart. I have relatives that grew up in the back woods and I know exactly what she means about country people being superstitious. She did not sugar coat her marriage or health problems. I do not usually read non-fiction, but in this case I am glad I did. "
" Who doesnt love Loretta Lynn? She is just the cutest thing ever, even if you are an avowed country music hater, like me. "
" Y'all know I am low-brow, but Loretta pulls out a good red, even going so far as to sketch the interior of her tour bus, for Heaven's sake! "
" My friend suggested that I watch the movie, but I spend so much time in the car that I knew I'd just better read it! Great example of how a lot of hard work can really pay off! "
" so spicy! a great easy read- recommended to anyone interested. "
" Interesting book, it's like Loretta Lynn is reading to you. I learned that Crystal Gayle is Loretta Lynn sister, she was born Brenda Lee and changed it to Crystal Gayle when she became a country singer. "
" Learned some new things about her.....some good, some I wish I didn't know about her. But she is what she is!! LOL "
" Loretta is my hero, but my tolerance for cutesy naivety is incredibly low. "
" Love the story, but she does get too woe as me by the end. "
" Her story is so great! From the outside, she looks like an overnight success, but there is a lot of poverty, heartache, and flat out work behind her success story. She is breathtakingly honest, and very true to who she is. "
" i love loretta, but the dialect seemed a little over done, and the tone of the whole book was rather defensive. "
" I enjoyed this auto-biography, particularly about Loretta's early days. I was motivated to read the book after hearing an interview with her on NPR. Though I was never a huge fan of her music or country in general, this was an enjoyable read. "
" pretty good read especially for older people who knew her when she started out "
" My favorite country singer of all time. She really made it from nothing. Love this book! "
" I didn't connect with this - it's too far removed from my time period I guess. I read this right after reading Dolly Parton's book and I just couldn't connect with it. It doesn't help that I probably wouldn't recognize a Loretta Lynn song on the radio if it came on. "
" This is a remarkable book I also love the movie. "
" Fascinating memoir, fast read. Loretta Lynn was pregnant at 14 and she had no idea where babies come from! And she was a feminist in 1976. "
" Even though I do not believe that everyone will enjoy this, being a country-loving/singing songwriter, this book has become a favorite...and I'm not even done! I love Loretta Lynn too. She's an inspiration to many. "
" I read this many years ago--just before the movie came out. Loved the book and the movie. "
" read this book or i will take you to fist city. "
" I'll never forget when she talks about her dad wearing knee pads into the coal mines and his back gets scraped, or not wearing them and his knees get all cut and bruised. "
" OK - so I love this book - sue me! "
" My opinion might be a bit biased because I was smitten with Loretta Lynn's personality. I truly enjoyed the story, the language, the frankness. And it wasn't as depressing as I expected it to be, because the emphasis was on dignity and hard work rather than despair. What a great read! "
" While my life was different from hers certainly -- there's a kinship between Loretta Lynn and me -- because I'm also a coal miner's daughter. She certainly had quite a life -- and is a pretty amazing person and talent. "
" Excellent book full of great stories. Loretta is very real and she shares a lot. "
" How can you not love Loretta? "
" I'm not a country music/Loretta Lynn fan but I enjoyed this classic memoir. Originally published in 1976, this 2010 reprint includes a brief update by Lynn. Lynn's discussion of her early life is the most compelling. "
" Great book, I love her and her story. If watching Deliverance gave you a horrible distaste for hillbilly culture, you should definitely read this as an antidote. "
" I found this book to be hard to get through. I really wanted to like it since I like her. Not great. "
" Learned that crystal gayle is Loretta Lynn's baby sister and Shel Silverstein wrote several outstanding songs. Fun read full of bass ackwards country contradictions. "
" If you love the movie, do yourself a favor and read the book. "
" Have been listening to a lot of LL lately & I really liked this book, especially Lynn's descriptions of the feminist movement and her objections to it especially since she is one of MY feminist heroes. Her story about falling asleep on TV as Betty Friedan was talking was hilarious. "
" I loved that this book was written EXACTLY the way a person from KY would talk. No hiding behind her fame...This book was written with no holds bar. "
" This book is a very good book about a country singer. "
Loretta Lynn (1932-2022) was an American country music singer-songwriter whose groundbreaking career spanned sixty years. With more than 45 million albums sold worldwide, multiple gold albums, and numerous awards and accolades, she was the most awarded female country recording artist and the only female ACM Artist of the Decade in the 1970s.
George Vecsey is an American nonfiction author and sports columnist for the New York Times. Vecsey is best known for his work in sports, but has co-written several autobiographies with non-sports figures. He is also the older brother of fellow sports journalist, columnist, and former NBATV and NFL on NBC color commentator Peter Vecsey.
Sissy Spacek is an Academy Award–winning American actress and singer. She has appeared in a number of films, including Badlands, Carrie, and Coal Miner’s Daughter, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress. She has also received Oscar nominations for her roles in Missing, The River, Crimes of the Heart, and In the Bedroom.
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