As you can easily imagine, Ms. Parton knows Nashville and its country music scene better than anyone. Mr. Patterson, who has written around 400 published works including picture books, nonfiction, and short stories, is a perfect writing partner for the “9 to 5” star.
Member of the Band
Nashville loves a good underdog story, and AnnieLee’s life fits right in. Growing up in an impoverished countryside Podunk, AnnieLee’s childhood was filled with abuse, violence, and heartbreak. She wants to talk about her experiences but feels too weighted by embarrassment and shame, particularly about the violence she endured, to share her story openly.It’s only through her songs that she is able to express herself. Some hints of her past show up in her lyrics, where she mentions dark topics like gun violence, but she keeps the details vague as a form of self-protection.
Ruthanna Ryder, a character similar to Ms. Parton, is famous but tired of the constant attention. Her demeanor often comes across as tough and bitter, but it’s mainly because she is still sad about losing her daughter, Sophia.
Ruthanna can’t shake the feeling that Sophia’s death was connected to how country music has become more about making money. As a result, Ruthanna has mixed feelings about her success.
She wanders through her luxurious mansion and sardonically jokes that “there’s no such thing as having too much.” This is a sharp contrast with AnnieLee’s impoverished, underfed, and struggling life.
Ruthanna Ryder and AnnieLee Keyes meet at a bar called the Cat’s Paw during an open-mic night. After AnnieLee finishes her set and goes to the bar during her break, the bartender informs her that someone wants to meet her. She is then led through a crowd to an unassuming table where Ruthanna Ryder, the biggest star in Nashville, sits.
Ruthanna, who had been listening to AnnieLee’s performance, extends an invitation for AnnieLee to sit with her and offers her advice, recognizing AnnieLee’s talent, but also warning her about the challenges of the music industry.
It soon becomes obvious that Ruthanna wants to help and protect AnnieLee, afraid the modern industry might claim another naive victim if she doesn’t step in. Eventually, Ruthanna becomes a mentor to AnnieLee, encouraging her to aim high and always be true to herself.
Cowboy Meets Cowgirl
Other characters include Ethan Blake, a session musician who lucked into working for Ruthanna after his return from serving in Afghanistan. Ethan is the one who first notices AnnieLee Keyes’s talent while she is performing at the Cat’s Paw saloon, and insists that Ruthanna take notice of her.After the famous singer decides to take AnnieLee under her wing, it soon becomes apparent to Ethan that he is falling for the novice singer. However, he worries that his battle scars are too deep to let him ever love again. Eventually, Ethan and AnnieLee connect over their love for music and understanding of each other’s difficult pasts.
Promoter Mikey Shumer, blond, tan, slick, and perpetually calculating, represents the music industry’s negative side, focusing on making money instead of caring about the music or musicians.
Music City Insider
During an interview in April, 2022, Ms. Parton, “[A]lmost everybody that comes here [Nashville] has a past, and they’re always running to something, and some are running from something.” This concept of flight, whether from or towards, underpins “Run, Rose, Run.”“Run, Rose, Run” portrays Nashville as a symbolic battleground where dreams are either accomplished or shattered. Like Hollywood on the West Coast, Nashville is a real-world illustration of the enticement and disappointment inherent in pursuing artistic success.
If you enjoy Mr. Patterson’s recent thrillers, you’ll find enough thrill to keep you entertained, albeit at a more PG-13 level than others he has written. If you are a fan of Dolly Parton’s personality, music, or musings, then you'll definitely enjoy reading “Run, Rose, Run.”
And speaking of Dolly Parton’s music: Music enthusiasts will be thrilled to know there is a tie-in album associated with the book that features songs sung by Dolly Parton herself, which AnnieLee wrote in the book. The album is as uplifting and inspiring as the novel.
“Run, Rose, Run” not only entertains, but also invites reflection on the nature of success, the cost of dreams, and the value of mentorship and personal growth in the face of adversity.
