Cher
The Memoir, Part One
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4.1 • 14 Ratings
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
The Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller
The Global #1 Bestseller
THERE IS ONLY ONE CHER…
…and for seven decades she has been showing us why. Cher holds the attention of the world with her voice, her acting, her style, her wit and her unstoppable spirit.
As honest and hilarious as it is powerful and perceptive, Cher's instant #1 global bestseller charts the origins and early days of a career that would see her become a household name and fashion icon.
Taking risks, making headlines and falling in love, Cher brings us to the brink of her next chapter – the remarkable acting and recording career that would cement her legacy for the ages, to be continued in Cher: The Memoir, Part two.
A life too big for one volume…
'I practically inhaled it…it's a riot.' The Times
'A rock 'n' roll memoir like no other.' Daily Mail
'Is there enough paper in the world to contain a life as jaw dropping as Cher's? Judging from The Memoir: Part One, the answer is no.' Sunday Times
Reviews
‘Full blooded and gutsy… a hearty, fullblooded read: a gutsy tale of highoctane showbiz survival from one of popular culture’s true 20th- (and 21st-) century stars’ THE OBSERVER
‘No-holds-barred memoir’ DAILY MAIL
‘Cherilyn Sarkisian’s life story is jaw-dropping…Could one celebrity’s life really stretch to more than one book? This, it turns out, was very much the wrong question. The correct one is, is there enough paper in the world to contain a life as jaw-dropping as Cher’s? Judging from The Memoir: Part One, the answer is no’ THE SUNDAY TIMES
‘I practically inhaled it…it’s a riot: a revelatory, self-deprecating tale’ THE TIMES
‘A detailed and characteristically profane recollection of its author’s eventful life…these 400 pages show the mettle behind the Mackie. Here’s to a sequel with sequins, expected in 2025’ THE NEW YORK TIMES
'A must-read' STYLIST
'Her wit and candour shine through as she shares stories of love, loss, and resilience. For fans and newcomers alike, the memoir is a vivid reminder of Cher’s enduring influence and the fearless spirit that make her a timeless queen of the industry' GLAMOUR
'Full of unforgettable memories and insights' COSMOPOLITAN
‘Cher, ever the chameleon, shows her true colors…Utterly candid’ THE WASHINGTON POST
‘[Cher is] intelligent, sensitive and engaging…A fun read, a candid and well-written book that will justifiably make her legion of fans excited for the release of the second volume’ THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
‘Best music book of 2024’ THE TELEGRAPH
‘The first part of Cher: The Memoir is as playful as it is eye-opening…the first part of Cher’s memoir is still packed full of punch’ The London Standard
'The book, which takes us up to the 1980s and the beginning of her acting career, is so fraught with drama, danger and reversals in fortune that it unfolds like an American picaresque. I can’t wait for the next instalment.' THE GUARDIAN
‘Book of the week’ THE SUNDAY TIMES
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The only way to hear the incredible life story of a pop culture phenomenon like Cher is straight from the icon herself. In this captivating first instalment to her two-part memoir, the singer and actor born Cherilyn Sarkisian offers up a bold, honest and reflective look at her life. She does that by first devoting a large portion of the book to her mother, Jackie Jean, whose own struggles with abandonment, abuse and generational poverty (not to mention her ambitions as a singer and actor) offer eye-opening context about the world Cher was born into. She dives deeply into her own childhood, too, discussing her struggling family’s frequent moves, her mother and stepfather’s turbulent relationship, and how all of it felt to her both then and now. By the time we got to the book’s end—with her pivotal relationship with Sonny Bono first blooming—we had a detailed psychological understanding of the woman who would become a legend.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The glitzy and forthright first installment of Cher's two-part autobiography finds the Grammy- and Oscar-winning performer pulling out more than a few secrets from her Bob Mackie–designed sleeves. The narrative begins with a detailed account of Cher's rocky 1950s Southern California childhood before covering her struggles with dyslexia, the early radio hits she cut in Los Angeles, her marriages to Sonny Bono and Greg Allman, and the many famous faces she mingled with in the 1960s and '70s. It ends with Francis Ford Coppola asking Cher why she isn't acting, setting the stage for a part two that includes peeks at her film work in Moonstruck and Mermaids. Throughout, Cher is a recognizably frank, occasionally profane narrator (the text contains 42 f-bombs), but it's her tenderness that shines brightest—especially moving is her determination to remain friends with Allman even after the end of their tumultuous, addiction-blighted marriage. She's also a gleeful dispenser of top-shelf gossip, with juicy nuggets on everyone from Mick Jagger to Carol Burnett to Salvador Dalí (Cher attended a memorable dinner at the surrealist's house, alongside a "bra-less chick" who "came out wearing a see-through blouse that might as well have been Saran Wrap"). Even casual Cher fans will be entertained.
