An effervescent memoir filled with joy, verve, and stories from the road that will satisfy anyone's longing for 80s nostalgia. The one about hearing a young Biggie Smalls freestyling over a Massive Attack sample is pure gold. I only wish I learned whether Neneh or Big Daddy Kane was the first to use the "raw like sushi" simile! This book is multicultural, international, soulful gold.

For those of us in Gen X, Nenah Cherry is perhaps best known for her catchy hit "Buffalo Stance." Her music and influence goes far beyond that, and over the years, she has expanded her career to include DJ and media work, as well as collaborations with other musicians. "A Thousand Threads" delves into Cherry's story, career and influences, chronicling her life beginning with her unconventional, mutli-cultural and international childhood, surrounded and raised by artists and musicians. While "A Thousand Threads". centers on Nenah's story, through her, readers also get a view of the music scene through her eyes as a child, a young adult, and into adulthood. She presents this view, and her place in the world, in a realistic way and in an authentic voice, neither glossing over challenges nor over dramatizing them. This is a very well written, interesting book, and I learned a lot from reading it.

Neneh Cherry’s A Thousand Threads is a memoir filled with vivid recollections of her extraordinary life and career, connecting the dots between her diverse musical heritage and personal experiences. As a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who captivated the world with her hit single “Buffalo Stance” in 1989, Neneh’s journey is one of creativity, resilience, and family.

The memoir opens with Neneh’s childhood in Sweden, born to a musician father from Sierra Leone and a Swedish textile artist mother. Early on, her life is shaped by the eclectic influences of her stepfather, legendary jazz musician Don Cherry. From Sweden to the bustling streets of 1970s New York, Neneh’s upbringing is a whirlwind of travel, art, and music. The reader is taken on a globe-spanning adventure that reflects her mixed heritage and cultural richness.

One of the book's strengths is Neneh’s detailed account of her early immersion in the punk scene, where she performed with iconic bands like The Slits and Rip Rig + Panic. These experiences set the stage for her eventual solo career, a unique blend of jazz, punk, and early hip-hop influences. Readers interested in the history of these musical movements will find her insider's perspective deeply engaging, as she recalls what it was like to be at the heart of London and New York’s underground scenes.

Neneh’s career highlights—especially the release of her debut album Raw Like Sushi—offer insight into her artistic evolution. She balances her rise to fame with the realities of motherhood, recording much of her debut album while pregnant with her second child. This fusion of family and music is a central theme throughout the memoir, revealing Neneh’s deep commitment to both her personal life and artistic expression.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, A Thousand Threads also explores themes of loss and self-identity. As Neneh navigates life’s challenges, her reflections on her father’s Sierra Leonean roots, her mother’s artistic legacy, and her stepfather’s musical influence provide the emotional depth that elevates the memoir. Her connection to her cultural roots and her reflections on love, loss, and family make this memoir relatable on a deeply human level.

For fans of Neneh Cherry or those interested in the intersections of punk, jazz, and hip-hop, this memoir is an enriching read. A Thousand Threads beautifully weaves together the many facets of her life, offering a compelling narrative of creativity, family, and self-discovery.

This memoir is a must-read for music lovers, offering an intimate look at a life lived at the crossroads of multiple genres and cultures. Neneh Cherry’s journey is not only about musical fame but about the people and places that shaped her along the way.

Scribner provided an early galley for review.

I would instantly know the cover of this book as it shares the same image as that on her 1989 banger debut album Raw Like Sushi Being very close in age (we're just a year apart) and thus coming from the same generation, I was very interested to know her story.

As the title states, Neneh takes after her mother as she weaves the many threads of her life into a revealing tapestry. The first quarter of the book covers in great detail her childhood with her parents and brother, bouncing back and forth between Sweden and New York City. With age and wisdom, she is interpreting those times through adult eyes yet still captures beautifully the essences of youth.

Even before she started making music herself, she was gathering in threads of various styles and sounds. From her stepfather's jazz connections to her touring along the punk scene to being at the epicenter of the birth of hip-hop, the elements were layering to build what would be the foundations of her own musical stylings. I was very surprised to learn about the punk bands (the Slits and Rip Rig + Panic) that she was a part of during her late teens and early 20's.

The third part of the book is where she dives into own songs and albums. I appreciated the insights into how the music came together and even more so that she recorded her debut album while very far along into her second pregnancy. Her newborn baby and family all figure prominently in the video for "Manchild", her debut album's second single. The threads of life and family run strong throughout her story.

In the end, her story is about family, friends, and a little bit of fame. It is one of life, love, and of eventual loss. I could relate to the general human themes that Neneh was illustrating here in her own life.

Neneh Cherry's name is one I had not heard in years but instantly brought me back to her music. My best friend and I loved her MTV videos and would sing along to her songs. Reading her memoir was fascinating. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.