Imagine growing up in a world where books were a luxury and education was a dream out of reach. This was the reality for Dolly Parton’s father, who never had the opportunity to learn to read. Inspired by her upbringing, the 78-year-old country music legend has dedicated the past three decades of her life to improving literacy through her Imagination Library book giveaway program.

Recently, the program has expanded statewide in places like Missouri and Kentucky, where children under the age of 5 can enroll to receive books mailed to their homes monthly. To celebrate this milestone, Dolly made stops in both states to promote the program and share the touching story of her father, Robert Lee Parton.

“In the mountains, a lot of people never had a chance to go to school because they had to work on the farms,” Dolly shared at the Folly Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. “They had to do whatever it took to keep the rest of the family going.”

Parton, the fourth of 12 children from a poor Appalachian family, admired her father’s intelligence but saw the pain he felt from being unable to read. Determined to make a change, she started the Imagination Library in a single county in Tennessee in 1995. Since then, over 3 million books are sent out each month, totaling 240 million books to kids worldwide.

Missouri covers the full cost of the program, amounting to $11 million in the latest fiscal year, while other states contribute through a cost-sharing model. Parton fondly recalls how children started calling her the “book lady,” making her father proud that he had made a difference.

With a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award under her belt, Dolly’s vision extends to having the program in every state. She sees it as a way of honoring her father’s legacy and fulfilling the Biblical command to honor one’s parents.

As an author herself, Dolly’s personal experiences shaped her storytelling, evident in her 1996 children’s book “Coat of Many Colors,” which is part of the Imagination Library program. The song by the same name, inspired by a coat her mother made her from mismatched fabric, holds a special place in her heart.

She shared how the song helped her heal from childhood wounds and resonated with countless others who found solace in its lyrics. Dolly’s dedication to literacy and storytelling has left an indelible mark on generations, proving that the power of words can transcend time and touch hearts in ways we never thought possible.

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Reported by Hollingsworth from Mission, Kansas.