A Thousand Threads: A Memoir

by Neneh Cherry

A vibrant memoir from Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Nenah Cherry who shares an inside look at her fascinating career and globe-traversing journeys in a life of love and music. Born in Sweden in 1964, Neneh Cherry’s father Ahmadu was a musician from Sierra Leone. Her mother, Moki, was a twenty-one-year-old Swedish textile artist. Her parents split up just after Neneh was born, and not long afterwards Moki met and fell in love with acclaimed jazz musician Don Cherry. Eventually, the strong pull New York City in the 1970s drew him them there, but they made a home wherever they traveled. Neneh and her brother Eagle Eye experienced a life of creativity, freedom, and, of course, music. In A Thousand Threads, Neneh takes readers from the charming old schoolhouse in the woods of Sweden where she grew up, to the village in Sierra Leone that was birthplace of her biological father, to the early punk scene in London and New York, to finding her identity with her stepfather’s family in Watts, California. Neneh has lived an extraordinary life of connectivity and creativity and she recounts in intimate detail how she burst onto the scene as a teenager in the punk band The Slits, and went on to release her first album in 1989 with a worldwide hit single “Buffalo Stance.” Neneh’s inspiring and deeply compelling memoir both celebrates female empowerment and shines a light on the global music scene—and is perfect for anyone interested in the artistic life in all its forms.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Memoir, Audiobook, Biography, Biography Memoir, Autobiography

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2024

Reviews

[Emmkay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember Neneh Cherry bursting onto the scene (well, onto tv and radio - I was nowhere near the scene) with Buffalo Stance when I was a teenager. I loved it, and she seemed both impossibly cool and very real, a young mum who was also creating music and traveling the world. What a vibrant life she's had, it turns out. Her childhood was fascinating if exhausting-sounding - Swedish mother Moki not only making art but making their home into art wherever it happened to be; father Ahmadu from Sierra Leone, a mystery until she begins to get to know him; stepfather, free jazz master musician Don Cherry, who raised her as his own but was plagued by a heroin addiction. She traversed Europe, the US, the UK, and Sierra Leone while she was growing up, had ceased formal schooling at 14, and by 16 was living independently in London and performing with The Slits, before marriage and a baby at 17. It's interesting reading that really makes you think about motherhood and art, growing up and safety, creative lives, and the creation of home. She has a huge circle of friends, family, and creative collaborators, whom I had a hard time keeping straight. And I would have liked both more photos and clearer photos to help me picture what she was writing about. But what a life!

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is how you do memoir. One of the best music books I’ve read in years. And so much more than just “A music book” — more a book about resilience, honesty, family, and the role of art and culture in and around all that”. It also feels, most profoundly, like a book about motherhood first and foremost.

[Jamele (BookswithJams) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Scribner for the digital copy to review.

I don’t know about you, but Buffalo Stance was always on play when I was in my youth and making mix tapes. But I never knew much about the woman behind the song, and so I really wanted to read this when it came out in October. I listened to the audio, which was narrated by the author, and it was lovely reading it this way. I enjoyed the relationship she had with both her mother and stepfather, you could tell there was definitely love between them all despite there being difficulties and struggles. Her love of music also shines through while she tells her incredible story, and as such this is one that you will enjoy whether you are a fan of hers, or not, but you will definitely count yourself a fan by the time you finish this book.

[Andrea Hurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tone in Neneh's writing feels like she's verbally sharing a story. Pull up a chair, get comfy and sip a cup of tea while she tells us the tale of her life. And what a remarkable tale it is. Shaped by parents who constantly travelled following their creative pursuits, Neneh's life follows a similar constant forward momentum. I often marvel at people who find themselves in the middle of creative cultural zeitgeists. Artist mother, jazz muscian father, moving to London as a teenager and joining female punk pioneers - the Slits. Doing DJ sets in underground clubs in London, joining the band Rip, Rig + Panic, being selected as a model for the Buffalo posse in Japan, finding her own voice (influenced by the NY hip hop scene) and performing on TOTP 7 months pregnant. And that is really only the beginning.

All of Neneh's stories are intertwined with family and friends. As a successful 'solo artist' I can now understand the number of people who support, collaborate and love Neneh, enabling her creativity to reach it's potential. For all the famous names mentioned and incredible experiences shared in this book, there is equally quiet moments about family. Traveling to Sierra Leone as a teenager with her biological father to understand her African heritage, getting pregnant and married at 18, making family meals in a kitchen always overflowing with friends, musicians and children. Her deep lasting friendships and family ties give a nod to her own bohemian childhood. There is a sense that Neneh is always surrounded by people and her home is open to all.

There is so much love in this book. Love for her children, love for her parents and brother, love for her friends and creative collaborators. But perhaps what I didn't expect what the seering honesty of the impact of the loss of that love can have. Neneh's deep grief after the death of her parents, and her battle to connect with the people who usually support and sustain her. Her reliance on alcohol and slipping mental health. And having the courage to get help.

This book tells the story of Neneh's life, but through her wiser, experienced tone of self reflection and understanding. There is questioning of her parent's and the impact that Don Cherry's drug additiction
had on all members of the family, watching her mother Moki trying endlessly to save Don from himself, until she could no longer do it. Questioning her own parenting decisions as a creative working mother. Do you take your children on tour or offer stability and routine by leaving them behind? These are contemplations I have never read in any autobiography written by a man. The juggling of being a creative independant performer...and mother.

The overarching themes of this book is community and love. Pinching the pull quote on the cover by Zadie Smith - 'Neneh is cool, Neneh is wise'. Her story is epic, and as she begins her 60s, I sense there is much more to come. And I am here for it.

[Jonas Paro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mycket bra självbiografi. Om att växa upp i en kreativ konstnärsfamilj, om att växa upp med en pappa som är heroinist, om att gång på gång befinna sig i populärkulturens absoluta zenit. Namedroppingen i boken är otrolig, Neneh har flyttat runt mycket i sitt liv och oftast hamnat rätt, i mytomspunna platser som New York (Chelsea Hotel, såklart), Los Angeles (Chateau Marmont, såklart) och London under punken och postpunkens mest kreativa era. Ja, hon hinner till och med vara raggare i Hässleholm under en peroid.

Men framförallt är detta en bok om kärlek. Till musik och kreativitet men ännu mer till familjen och vännerna.

[Book Reviews by Tara aka Queen of Memoirs]

ARC REVIEW
This copy was gifted by the publisher Scribner Publishing
‌
Neneh Cherry delivers 𝐀 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 with the same eccentric style as her music…it’s a little unorthodox yet catchy enough to keep you holding on to the end.
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The book is sectioned in three parts. In my book (an ARC) the parts aren’t labeled. However, the timeline went as follows:
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Part I: Birth-Preteen
I found this part moderately satisfying. It’s here Neneh introduces us to her mother Moki, her biological father Ahmadu, and her step dad, Don Cherry. I think Neneh does a great job of honoring her parents in this book. She lovingly shares a lot of their story along with her own. In this section she also describes what life was like growing up as a person of mixed race. The homes in which she’s lived plays as big a role in this memoir. She moves a lot and does a lot of traveling. It’s this nomadic lifestyle that creates the thousand threads that makes up Neneh Cherry.
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Part II: The Teen Years
I must be honest, I struggled getting through Part II. These stories didn’t hold my interest at all. Neneh writes about places she’s lived, and friends she’s made along the way. Unfortunately, I didn’t think this made for great reading. It moved slow. I wanted the story to move along.
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Part Three: Adulthood
This was my favorite section. The sweet spot of the book. Everything I really wanted to know about Neneh was here. During this time her music career takes off. She writes about making her album 𝘙𝘢𝘸 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪. She breaks down the making to her songs 𝘉𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘰 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘔𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 along with other songs. To this day I still love the song 𝘉𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘰 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. Whenever it comes on I happily sing every word😂. Well…I thought I knew every word. Until I read this book and learned that what I thought was, “Bob the Bass, rock this place” is really, “Bomb the Bass, rock this place.”🤯
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Part III also contains the most emotional part of Neneh’s story. It’s during this time Neneh experiences many losses including the deaths of all three of her parents and quite a few friends. As a result she sadly finds herself in the throes of addiction.
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🎶
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Although I can’t label this a “must read”, I still believe it’s good for those who love Neneh’s music.

[victoria marie]

Shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize, Nonfiction

*

I want to live the rest of my life, however long or short, with as much sweetness as I can decently manage, loving all the people I love, and doing as much as I can of the work I still have to do. I am going to write fire until it comes out of my ears, my eyes, my noseholes-everywhere. Until it's every breath I breathe. I'm going to go out like a fucking meteor!
— Audre Lorde

listened as an audiobook, narrated by the author. this book is such a force with focuses on such an amazing & wide connection of music (& just the act of creation), the meanings of places & people, exploring identities within femininity in all forms & histories. really enjoyed this & will be thinking on it for awhile.

rankings (shortlisted books numbered)
2025 Women’s Prize—Nonfiction
* Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
* By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice by Rebecca Nagle
1. Story of a Heart: Two Families, One Heart, and a Medical Miracle by Rachel Clarke
2. What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World's Ocean by Helen Scales
3. A Thousand Threads: A Memoir by Neneh Cherry
4. Agent Zo: The Untold Story of a Fearless World War II Resistance Fighter by Clare Mulley
5. Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
* Autocracy, Inc. by Anne Applebaum
* Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men by Harriet Wistrich
* Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin by Sue Prideaux
* Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age by Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough
* The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV by Helen Castor
6. Private Revolutions: Four Women Face China's New Social Order by Yuan Yang

[14/16 read, & calling it; saving two in our library for later: Tracker by Alexis Wright & Ootlin by Jenni Fagan]

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

[Gretchen_MadeUBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Martin Maenza · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Vicki (chaptersofvicki) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I saw Neneh Cherry had a memoir coming out I’d been looking forward to reading it. I remember watching her first performance on Top of the Pops back in the late 80’s when I was a young teenager. I loved her music and I played the cassette tape I had of her debut album Raw Like Sushi repeatedly. 😂

We start of learning all about her childhood and growing up with her parents along with her younger brother. They moved around a bit between Sweden and New York. There were a lot of struggles in her life and it made for some difficult reading at times.

I really enjoyed reading the parts about her music and how her songs and albums came together. Lots of things I didn’t know. I won’t mention things here as I don’t want to ruin for those of you who wish to read this.

If you enjoy reading memoirs or are a fan of Neneh Cherry then I recommend reading this. It is essentially a story about family, friendship and the journey that life takes on - the good and the bad.

Thank you to Vintage Books for sending me a gifted copy.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading A Thousand Threads, I realized that Neneh Cherry is the Kevin Bacon of the music world.
With her parents, Moki and Don Cherry, there is no artist or jazz musician she didn't find herself around during her childhood. In her teenage years, she ran in the same circles of many early hip-hop, New Wave, and punk artists.
Neneh has lived and continues to live a fascinating life.
Her writing conveys the heartache and frustration of dealing with Don's drug addiction. She does a great job sharing the experience of returning to Africa with her biological father, Ahmadu Jah, and his family. The common thread throughout the book is how important family is to Neneh, not just her biological family but also the family she has chosen to surround herself with.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling and beautifully written memoir, A Thousand Threads is a book that fully deserves its place on the Women's Prize for Nonfiction shortlist.

Neneh Cherry’s memoir is a rich tapestry of personal stories, weaving together themes of art, music, race, resilience, addiction, heritage, family, grief, and motherhood. Her reflections on her life and the experiences that shaped her, both as an artist and as a mother, are deeply moving and thought-provoking.

I was in equal parts shocked and awed by what she has lived through and how she navigates it all with wisdom and honesty. Her insights into the creative industry and the complexities of identity make this a truly powerful read.

Highly recommended!

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

knew little to none about Neneh Cherry and was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this memoir. very well written and such an interesting life. really underlines the joy of connection in our lives

[Kirstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short-listed for the non-fiction Women’s Prize, but just not for me. Decently written memoir of Neneh Cherry’s unconventional and global artistic upbringing, family and career. If you are a fan of Neneh or Don Cherry you may be interested in this.

[Vanya Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

Massively inspiring.

[Carolyn Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neneh's Cherry does an admirable job of capturing the sights, sounds, and tastes of her kaleidoscopic, peripatetic life. I particularly enjoyed the fascinating snippets of her Zelig-like childhood, with almost incidental encounters with giants of jazz, literature, sport and music. Cherry has some tales to tell and tells them with soul and style.

[Cammy]

This was really good and really raw and honest. Like I'm still kind of down from a lot of the stuff that came at the end. I really appreciated this look into this really artistic, nomadic life she was born into and then lived with her own kids. I didn't realize that she spent so much time in New York growing up.

I think I felt really sad about a lot of her childhood stories, even though she talked about how unique it was growing up that way. I'm glad she had such strong family ties and her relationship with her parents was really beautiful but at the same time, I feel like they were pretty neglectful. Her dealing with her stepfather's addiction is really sad. And while I really liked that she was exposed to the arts so young and saw that as a viable way to live, it also makes me kind of sad that she left home so early. I can't imagine living in London at sixteen, across the world from my parents, even if living with friends. Then she gets married at seventeen and pregnant at like nineteen. She acknowledges that she was so young when this all was happening, and she definitely seems to have complex feelings about it all. But I didn't expect that level of honesty.

I really loved reading about her identity, her connections to her collaborators, friends, and family, and her development of her music. I love that she wasn't super musical when she was younger, despite living with her stepfather, who was a great performer who performed with people like Coltrane. I also love that she connects with her biological father and that side of her family as well. She seems like a person who has a lot of love for a lot of people.

I also selfishly love the chapters about her being young and an artist in London. I love reading about artists being in their twenties and just figuring things out like I am. Her making a little bit of money from being in bands and living with her friend and eventually living with her daughter and just writing on the kitchen table makes her feel so... normal. Especially as a Black woman. I can't imagine being nineteen and having a kid and trying to be an artist.

On one hand, I really appreciate both Neneh and her mother's view that motherhood can be combined with artistry and that you don't have to pick one or the other. On the other hand, Neneh talks about how she wasn't home a lot and sometimes her kids missed her, and I think that her mother could've been way more involved with Neneh than she was. But I also think this book recognizes that they had the best intentions and made a lot of mistakes and tried their best. My favorite chapters were when she talked about making music and her kids running around and a bunch of collaborators being around.

I think I got a lot sadder when she talked about a bunch of people dying. There are close friends who die from AIDS or addiction. Then things really get dark when her mother dies. You can totally feel the pain she felt in those chapters, and reading about her spinning out and basically becoming an alcoholic is sad. It's also sad to read about the impact it had on her kids. It doesn't all get neatly wrapped up, either, which is why I feel this sense of sadness. But it's really nice to read an article from a woman who clearly isn't finished making art and saying all the things she needs to say.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

You didn't think I was done, did you?!

I saw this book in the Charleston airport last month and promptly picked it up from the library.

While it has taken me a while to finish due to life, I've done it in fits and starts and the book is excellent - four stars or five is not a rating I readily give.

While I always knew Neneh as a talented artist and Don Cherry's (step) daughter, I never heard or read anyone talk about her mother, Moki, a talented Swedish artist in her own right who worked in collage and textile art. Now that I have read this book, you can bet I searched out information and images on her and her incredible art. How sad is it that women artists' work is devalued compared to the "great" men? Please don't try and argue that point, you know it's true.

A really enjoyable read that you could see and smell and taste. The love of food and the communal table comes through. As do great stories from the early days of trip hop in the UK - the whole Bristol crew is here. Also such great insight and anecdotes on stylist Judy Blame.

I have to categorically love any book that mentions The Pink Teacup, one of THE greatest soul food restaurants ever, where I was privileged to eat the best breakfast of my life. Oh laws, the memories!

I've also started re-listening to Homebrew, Neneh's second album and my fave. Highly recommended!

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was pretty disappointing for me; I just didn't connect with any part of this book and I really struggled to finish it. I was really hoping for me about her music and while that was in there, it felt like it was very brief and left me wanting much more. I really struggled with the family dynamic as well and that also made it a tougher read than I expected.
The middle part of the book [it is split into three parts] was the best for me, but even at that, it was really difficult for me to engage [and then part 3 was very off-putting for me] in her story [it DID make me want to go listen to Raw Like Sushi though. It has been Y E A R S since I had that in rotation]. Very disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Neneh Cherry, and Scribner for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Rendezvouswithbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no knowledge of who Neneh Cherry is ...so in that sense it was an eye opener on her journey. It talked about her father's struggle with drugs, the powerhouse her mother was, her journey as an artist-globe trotting, sexual assault faced by her, grammy nomination, her journey with her kids and grandkids and finally going back to her roots after the death of her parents. Its evocative, emotional but I still missed the depth So nothing great but nothing bad

[Polly Sands · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s more of a high 3 score.
Neneh is a pretty good writer, and her family history is fascinating. Her sense of setting is strong and she is a seminal woman in my life growing up so I loved hearing her inner voice.
I would have marked it higher if it hadn’t jumped around time wise sometimes, in a slightly unnecessary way. And it also got a bit over sentimental towards the end.
But overall read if you are interested in her and her bohemian upbringing.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neneh Cherry has lived a fascinating life. Her story is a beautiful reminder to me that there are many different ways to approach life. I love the way her story is also the story of her family. I’m not familiar with much of the music she references in her book, so someone with a different musical background would likely enjoy it even more than I did. The author is a great narrator of the audiobook. My only regret was no pictures to go along with the family stories (so I just did a bit of googling).

[Alexander Petkovski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really strong memoir, I enjoyed it. It made me so search and listen to her songs. I listened to it as an audio-book. This is also shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Nonfiction 2025 and I can see why.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seen this book up for numerous awards, and heard Neneh talk about it with Cerys Matthews. So, I decided to give it a listen.

It is a fascinating account of her life so far. It's a chaotic sounding life at times - lots of movement and change and creativity. But it is filled with familial love and musical references.

More than anything it felt like a book about mother's - both Neneh's relationship with her own, as well as her role as a mother to her children.

[Cornelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Så fint att lyssna när Neneh läser sin egen bok ♥️

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

She’s lead a very interesting life.

[Sophie (RedheadReading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her reflections on her mum at the end were particularly moving. A really warm and generous biography.

[Marie-Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful memoir, full of heart, insight and love.

[Josephine Olok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and well written memoir. It was great to reconnect with Neneh's songs and to read about her life behind the music.