Her Country tackles the unspoken, backward rules of the country music industry with regard to female artists, and does so by tracking the careers of Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, and Mickey Guyton. I’m from the same hometown as Kacey Musgraves, and while prior to reading this book I was only vaguely familiar with her music, she’s always been an artist I’ve rooted for as a local inspiration. Morris and Guyton I had no previous knowledge of, but I’m glad that this book has changed that!

It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, much less those of us who have tuned into country radio in the last decade and a half, that there is a general disinterest within the industry in female/Black/LGBTQ+ artists. Moss does a solid job of examining this through the lens of three artists’ careers, and how they each have bucked the trends of the industry. There is background information provided for those of us who either haven’t listened to country music since the early aughts – like myself – or those who aren’t familiar with the scene at all.

That being said, I do think the information could have been organized a little better. It’s clear that there is a lot of material Moss could have covered in this book, and it seems like the book can’t quite decide whether it wants to analyze the country music industry or follow the careers of Musgraves, Morris, and Guyton. These two strands aren’t brought together enough to make it a solid thread, and this can result in sections feeling a little disjointed. There are also parts that feel a little like information overload or seem dry, but I honestly come to expect that from nonfiction at this point, so I’m not counting that against the book.

Overall, I’m glad I read this! I have been listening to Kacey non-stop ever since, and have created a playlist with Morris, Guyton, and other artists mentioned in the book that I had either never heard of or had long forgotten. I’d recommend this read for anyone interested in country/Texas music, female artists, or for more information about the country music industry.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. and LibraryThing Early Reviewers for providing a copy for review.