Run, Rose, Run

Once again proving there’s nothing she can’t do, living country legend Dolly Parton released her debut novel, Run, Rose, Run, alongside best-selling author James Patterson. The thriller tells the story of an up-and-coming Nashville songwriter escaping her past, with an accompanying album of the same name offering a fitting soundtrack. Comprising 12 brand-new Parton-penned and -produced songs, Run, Rose, Run brings together Parton’s many influences—country, gospel, bluegrass, roots—for a collection as dynamic as the novel’s heroine.

Standout tracks like “Big Dreams and Faded Jeans” and “Woman Up (And Take It Like a Man)” reflect the ambition and strength of that spirited protagonist, while also echoing Parton’s own journey from poverty to superstardom. Parton tells Apple Music that she’d originally only planned to co-author the book until the story’s vivid characters started bringing songs to life. “One day I was just working on the dialogue with James and I thought, ‘I need to write an album,’” she says. “‘This is a perfect time to write an album about these characters and about Nashville and something I know a little bit about.’ It wasn't planned in our original deal. It just made its natural way through.”