Parton’s co-authorship of Run Rose Run may not suggest literary finesse, but she is able to supply an authenticity in the details of the American music business to match (in her own way) the political insights previously provided by Clinton ... The autobiographical aspects of the novel are foregrounded: AnnieLee is as diminutive as Run Rose Run’s co-author, with a similarly sparky, self-deprecating character, and if she is relatively one-dimensional, her older mentor, Ruthanna, is painted in richer colours ... It’s a safe bet that the heavy lifting in terms of the writing has been in the hands of the prolific Patterson ... Surprisingly for Patterson, celebrated for his machine-tooled plots, there are several loose ends that are not tied up at the end of Run Rose Run, such as the fate of several key characters; what’s more, narrative suspense is notably on the backburner. Country music fans, however, may feel they’ve got their money’s worth.
Country music legend Parton’s strong debut, an exhilarating rags-to-riches story coauthored with bestseller Patterson...revolves around the troubled past of plucky singer/songwriter AnnieLee Keyes ... When AnnieLee’s life is threatened, she needs the help of her new friends to survive. Never mind that the mystery element runs a distant second to the story of AnnieLee making good in Nashville. Parton fans will relish this timeless fairy tale, which displays the singer’s lively way with words and draws liberally from her experience in the music business.
