What do you think?
Rate this book
This Thread of Gold: A Celebration of Black Womanhood
From gender adviser to the UN Catherine Joy White comes This Thread of Gold , a lyrical celebration of the history of Black women who challenged stereotypes through film, politics, activism, and beyond.
This immersive and empowering read blends history, reporting, and personal stories to weave a gorgeous tapestry from the resilience of Black women. As White writes, “Black women are not victims. Black women are alchemists, spinning gold from a life of hardship. . . . This book is dedicated solely to Black women surviving, thriving, and glowing.”
White’s book features revolutionary women from across time and space, liberating them from reductive stereotypes like “the strong Black woman,” and allowing space for emotional nuance, individual motivation, and richness of expression. White offers fresh insights into the work of Beyoncé and Nina Simone, Shirley Chisholm and Meghan Markle, as well as the work of those who resisted in secret—in kitchens, in churches, and through trusted networks. By weaving these women together, White reveals new ways to understand Black womanhood and she is sure to inspire new generations of readers.
This immersive and empowering read blends history, reporting, and personal stories to weave a gorgeous tapestry from the resilience of Black women. As White writes, “Black women are not victims. Black women are alchemists, spinning gold from a life of hardship. . . . This book is dedicated solely to Black women surviving, thriving, and glowing.”
White’s book features revolutionary women from across time and space, liberating them from reductive stereotypes like “the strong Black woman,” and allowing space for emotional nuance, individual motivation, and richness of expression. White offers fresh insights into the work of Beyoncé and Nina Simone, Shirley Chisholm and Meghan Markle, as well as the work of those who resisted in secret—in kitchens, in churches, and through trusted networks. By weaving these women together, White reveals new ways to understand Black womanhood and she is sure to inspire new generations of readers.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published June 11, 2024
15 people are currently reading
6876 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 9, 2025
this book was beautifully written but i feel like it may have been better as poetry
February 4, 2024
Summary: Dive headfirst into empowering stories as Catherine Joy White unfurls the tales of Black women who've defied stereotypes with resilience and grace. From the silver screen to the hallowed halls of politics, from activism to art, White's book celebrates the joys and sorrows of Black womanhood. With a blend of history, personal anecdotes, and insightful commentary, "This Thread of Gold" pays homage to the trailblazers, the visionaries, and the unsung heroes who've shaped the world.
Pros:
🌟 A shining star in the constellation of Black history books! "This Thread of Gold" is not just a read; it's an experience—a journey through time and space that leaves you feeling enlightened, uplifted, and empowered.
📚 Educational and empowering, this book is like a compass guiding readers through the reality of Black womanhood. From Beyoncé to Nina Simone, Shirley Chisholm to Meghan Markle, White's story celebrates the diversity and resilience of Black women across generations and geographies.
💪🏾 Raw and unapologetic, White's prose cuts through stereotypes like a hot knife through butter, offering fresh insights and perspectives on Black womanhood. No more "strong Black woman" tropes—just real, nuanced, and unfiltered stories.
Cons:
😅 The only downside? You might need a tissue or two handy for the emotional rollercoaster ride. From tears of laughter to tears of inspiration, "This Thread of Gold" is a whirlwind of emotions that'll leave you reaching for the Kleenex.
In conclusion, "This Thread of Gold" is not just a book; it's a story of resilience, strength, and beauty of Black womanhood. Catherine Joy White's masterful storytelling and insightful commentary shine a spotlight on the heroes and trailblazers who've shaped history. So, grab your copy, buckle up, and get ready for a journey that'll leave you inspired, enlightened, and filled with a renewed sense of purpose.
Disclaimer: A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for providing me with this eARC. All opinions expressed are as vibrant and powerful as the stories within these pages—unapologetically authentic and bursting with life! 🌟📖
Pros:
🌟 A shining star in the constellation of Black history books! "This Thread of Gold" is not just a read; it's an experience—a journey through time and space that leaves you feeling enlightened, uplifted, and empowered.
📚 Educational and empowering, this book is like a compass guiding readers through the reality of Black womanhood. From Beyoncé to Nina Simone, Shirley Chisholm to Meghan Markle, White's story celebrates the diversity and resilience of Black women across generations and geographies.
💪🏾 Raw and unapologetic, White's prose cuts through stereotypes like a hot knife through butter, offering fresh insights and perspectives on Black womanhood. No more "strong Black woman" tropes—just real, nuanced, and unfiltered stories.
Cons:
😅 The only downside? You might need a tissue or two handy for the emotional rollercoaster ride. From tears of laughter to tears of inspiration, "This Thread of Gold" is a whirlwind of emotions that'll leave you reaching for the Kleenex.
In conclusion, "This Thread of Gold" is not just a book; it's a story of resilience, strength, and beauty of Black womanhood. Catherine Joy White's masterful storytelling and insightful commentary shine a spotlight on the heroes and trailblazers who've shaped history. So, grab your copy, buckle up, and get ready for a journey that'll leave you inspired, enlightened, and filled with a renewed sense of purpose.
Disclaimer: A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for providing me with this eARC. All opinions expressed are as vibrant and powerful as the stories within these pages—unapologetically authentic and bursting with life! 🌟📖
September 3, 2023
Part history, part manifesto, Catherine Joy White's This Thread of Gold interrogates the ways Black women have been charactised and represented over the course of hundreds of years and, through telling the stories of myriad remarkable women, encourages the reader to expand their perception. For Black readers, it is an affirming celebration of all that Black women have been, are, and will be; for white readers, it is an opportunity to listen, learn and reflect on how living at the intersection of being female and being Black affects how you experience the world.
'Black women have always been appropriated, talked over, misrepresented and mistranslated,' writes White, and this book is her opportunity to tell her own story - and those of an assortment of world-renowned and less famous women who have inspired her - without interruption or contradiction. She ruminates on how each one has challenged expectations of people who look like them through 'acts of glittering defiance', whether that be quietly subverting cultural depictions of Black 'mammies', challenging the status quo as pioneers in sport, work, public office and activism. She uncovers and celebrates the fascinating stories of women who have been largely forgotten by history, such as actress Hattie McDaniel, who had to navigate a very white Hollywood in Jim Crow era America whilst simultaneously fielding criticism from the Black community.
The title 'This Thread of Gold' refers to the thread which binds Black women to each other throughout history and across continents, but it could also refer to but also to the narrative, which gathers disparate stories and experiences and, in sewing them into the tapestry that is this book, illuminates the connections and parallels between a British politician and an American trans activist, a racist charicature on a bottle of pancake syrup and the first Black Oscar winner, Beyoncé and a Second World War spy, a nineteenth century cookbook author and a pair of French intellectuals.
Although White is a self-confessed private person who finds it hard to open up, the way she shares her own experiences is raw, honest and vulnerable, and these recollections provide a framework around which to weave the stories of other women. Throughout the book, she unpicks the tropes that have limited and harmed Black women - including herself - and provides palpable evidence for the damage that characterising them as 'strong' can do for instance, such as leading to far higher rates of maternal mortality. White speaks warmly to Black women, reassuring them that 'Resilience is woven into our DNA. We wear it proudly, and yet we must not be afraid of sharing our pain.'
'What is more important than anything I can do - anything any of us can do - is that in weaving this thread of gold we are freeing other Black women to do the same. We are building a tapestry that does not force us to choose.' The thread of gold is a thread of Black excellence which blazes a trail and makes it clear that there is no one way for a Black woman to be. White believes passionately that Black women have a collective responsibility to take up that thread- to reclaim the narrative and define their femininity and their Blackness on their own terms, forcing the world to make space for them - and to do it while recognising the work of those who came before and paving the way for those who will follow. This Thread of Gold is a clarion call.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dialogue Books for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
'Black women have always been appropriated, talked over, misrepresented and mistranslated,' writes White, and this book is her opportunity to tell her own story - and those of an assortment of world-renowned and less famous women who have inspired her - without interruption or contradiction. She ruminates on how each one has challenged expectations of people who look like them through 'acts of glittering defiance', whether that be quietly subverting cultural depictions of Black 'mammies', challenging the status quo as pioneers in sport, work, public office and activism. She uncovers and celebrates the fascinating stories of women who have been largely forgotten by history, such as actress Hattie McDaniel, who had to navigate a very white Hollywood in Jim Crow era America whilst simultaneously fielding criticism from the Black community.
The title 'This Thread of Gold' refers to the thread which binds Black women to each other throughout history and across continents, but it could also refer to but also to the narrative, which gathers disparate stories and experiences and, in sewing them into the tapestry that is this book, illuminates the connections and parallels between a British politician and an American trans activist, a racist charicature on a bottle of pancake syrup and the first Black Oscar winner, Beyoncé and a Second World War spy, a nineteenth century cookbook author and a pair of French intellectuals.
Although White is a self-confessed private person who finds it hard to open up, the way she shares her own experiences is raw, honest and vulnerable, and these recollections provide a framework around which to weave the stories of other women. Throughout the book, she unpicks the tropes that have limited and harmed Black women - including herself - and provides palpable evidence for the damage that characterising them as 'strong' can do for instance, such as leading to far higher rates of maternal mortality. White speaks warmly to Black women, reassuring them that 'Resilience is woven into our DNA. We wear it proudly, and yet we must not be afraid of sharing our pain.'
'What is more important than anything I can do - anything any of us can do - is that in weaving this thread of gold we are freeing other Black women to do the same. We are building a tapestry that does not force us to choose.' The thread of gold is a thread of Black excellence which blazes a trail and makes it clear that there is no one way for a Black woman to be. White believes passionately that Black women have a collective responsibility to take up that thread- to reclaim the narrative and define their femininity and their Blackness on their own terms, forcing the world to make space for them - and to do it while recognising the work of those who came before and paving the way for those who will follow. This Thread of Gold is a clarion call.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dialogue Books for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
March 15, 2024
I have no words to express how much I enjoyed reading about all of the black women who helped to shape our world into what it is today. This book was amazingly written. I highly recommend it!!
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 18, 2023
What a wonderfully appropriate book to read during Black History Month in the UK, where the theme is celebrating the achievements of Black women.
This is a love song and a salutation to all the Black women who have trail blazed and led the way, who have formed the threads of gold in a tapestry of powerful womanhood. Here are the unsung heroes who have challenged perceptions and the narrative, and we are also challenged in our turn.
This is also an exploration of Catherine Joy White’s own experiences, and a beautifully written memoir in its own right. Powerful, confessional and written with authority and sensitivity, this made me think whilst gently educating me.
This is a love song and a salutation to all the Black women who have trail blazed and led the way, who have formed the threads of gold in a tapestry of powerful womanhood. Here are the unsung heroes who have challenged perceptions and the narrative, and we are also challenged in our turn.
This is also an exploration of Catherine Joy White’s own experiences, and a beautifully written memoir in its own right. Powerful, confessional and written with authority and sensitivity, this made me think whilst gently educating me.
February 10, 2025
I liked this. It's not really "for" me, but it was beautifully written. I love how the theme is literally woven through the story. It could be a little dry from time to time, but I also did most of my reading at bedtime where I was already drowsy, so it took me longer to finish than expected. Still, really well-written and a beautiful celebratory work.
December 19, 2025
“How does one live with the weight of having different elements of your identity at war with eachother”
April 16, 2025
Sadly two stars. I don’t know what it was about this book but I just couldn’t get through it, but I also didn’t want to put it up my DNF list.
It was something about the writing to me. It was very repetitive and slow even though the historical figures she describes could be most interesting because a lot of those women and their stories I didn’t know.
It was the mid- and end section of each chapter that gave me struggles to get through it. I didn’t feel some connections she made. It also felt sometimes we were chilling in a highway listening to old forgotten stories and then suddenly there was an exit, which didn’t make sense and then the last 5 sentences we got back in that highway.
I wish the book would describe just the stories of the historical heroic women without all the “deeper” connections she tried to make.
Sad because I had high hopes for this book. But I never had my mind wonder off while reading the words so often. I sometimes had to reread a whole page because I noticed I wasn’t even reading them, just thinking of my own thoughts.
I must say: 5 stars for the cover tho.
It was something about the writing to me. It was very repetitive and slow even though the historical figures she describes could be most interesting because a lot of those women and their stories I didn’t know.
It was the mid- and end section of each chapter that gave me struggles to get through it. I didn’t feel some connections she made. It also felt sometimes we were chilling in a highway listening to old forgotten stories and then suddenly there was an exit, which didn’t make sense and then the last 5 sentences we got back in that highway.
I wish the book would describe just the stories of the historical heroic women without all the “deeper” connections she tried to make.
Sad because I had high hopes for this book. But I never had my mind wonder off while reading the words so often. I sometimes had to reread a whole page because I noticed I wasn’t even reading them, just thinking of my own thoughts.
I must say: 5 stars for the cover tho.
May 27, 2025
CW That I Found: Domestic abuse, Racism, Rape
My opinion of this book might be impacted because it didn't really meet my understanding of what it was rather than a critique of the actual writing itself. I was expecting a collection of accounts of significant black woman in history throughout different decades and although that was technically in the book I felt like this was more of a memoir than a history book. Some of the connections to the authors personal life was interesting but I felt like took up too much of the book. I wanted to hear more about the powerful woman that she was comparing herself to as opposed to hearing about her. (Nothing against the author, she seems lovely!)
My opinion of this book might be impacted because it didn't really meet my understanding of what it was rather than a critique of the actual writing itself. I was expecting a collection of accounts of significant black woman in history throughout different decades and although that was technically in the book I felt like this was more of a memoir than a history book. Some of the connections to the authors personal life was interesting but I felt like took up too much of the book. I wanted to hear more about the powerful woman that she was comparing herself to as opposed to hearing about her. (Nothing against the author, she seems lovely!)
September 17, 2024
This book took me by surprise. When I first picked it up, I had no idea it would also lift my spirit in such a profound way. It quickly became difficult to put down, not just for its eloquence, but for the deep emotional resonance Catherine Joy White brings to every page. White’s writing goes beyond mere celebration of the Black female queen, mother, pioneer, and warrior—both past and present. She speaks to those of us who may sometimes feel we fall short of these lofty titles, reminding us that we are, first and foremost, our mothers’ daughters, and that in itself holds power.
Through intimate storytelling, she introduces us to her favorite Black women—those who rose above every obstacle, refusing to wait for the world’s recognition. Their stories are woven with fierce pride and authenticity, creating a chorus of voices that call out to the reader with urgency and grace. As an author myself, having written She Rose, I connected deeply with White’s reflections. I appreciated the way she intertwined her own story into the larger narrative, crafting a work that’s as personal as it is universal.
But what truly elevates this book is the golden thread of life lessons White has woven into every chapter. She doesn’t just inspire; she empowers. Catherine Joy White isn’t simply living her best life—she’s showing us how to do the same, by daring to speak the truth boldly and unapologetically. If you’re seeking a book that uplifts, challenges, and celebrates the Black woman in all her forms, this is one you absolutely cannot miss. It’s a must-read, and its impact will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.
Through intimate storytelling, she introduces us to her favorite Black women—those who rose above every obstacle, refusing to wait for the world’s recognition. Their stories are woven with fierce pride and authenticity, creating a chorus of voices that call out to the reader with urgency and grace. As an author myself, having written She Rose, I connected deeply with White’s reflections. I appreciated the way she intertwined her own story into the larger narrative, crafting a work that’s as personal as it is universal.
But what truly elevates this book is the golden thread of life lessons White has woven into every chapter. She doesn’t just inspire; she empowers. Catherine Joy White isn’t simply living her best life—she’s showing us how to do the same, by daring to speak the truth boldly and unapologetically. If you’re seeking a book that uplifts, challenges, and celebrates the Black woman in all her forms, this is one you absolutely cannot miss. It’s a must-read, and its impact will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.
June 7, 2023
This was an easy 5 star review for me because it was so incredibly easy to read! (Read it in one sitting - you guys know I rarely do that).
Following the history of black women through culture, creativity and legacy, this book weaves a wonderful story about women we know of but, just as importantly, the women we don't.
I love love love books like this that offer historical fact alongside feeling and meaning, while teaching me more of what I need to know by exploring the likes of:
- Black women in the kitchen
- The black female experience and representation
- Safe spaces
- Beauty standards
- Perspective
- Habits & hobbies
- Class and hierarchy
- Legacy
- Individualism
- Fighting back
- Rejecting stereotypes
- Acceptance
This is honestly a great one for ANYONE to read. It is intellectual, educational, heart-felt and as always needed.
I loved the constant reminder that I don't need to overextend or dim myself for the comfort of others because of the importance of living in my truth.
It doesn't drag while simultaneously proving enough detail that I have gone off and done some more of my own research.
I came away inspired!
OUT 22ND JUNE - Get pre-ordering noooowwww!
Following the history of black women through culture, creativity and legacy, this book weaves a wonderful story about women we know of but, just as importantly, the women we don't.
I love love love books like this that offer historical fact alongside feeling and meaning, while teaching me more of what I need to know by exploring the likes of:
- Black women in the kitchen
- The black female experience and representation
- Safe spaces
- Beauty standards
- Perspective
- Habits & hobbies
- Class and hierarchy
- Legacy
- Individualism
- Fighting back
- Rejecting stereotypes
- Acceptance
This is honestly a great one for ANYONE to read. It is intellectual, educational, heart-felt and as always needed.
I loved the constant reminder that I don't need to overextend or dim myself for the comfort of others because of the importance of living in my truth.
It doesn't drag while simultaneously proving enough detail that I have gone off and done some more of my own research.
I came away inspired!
OUT 22ND JUNE - Get pre-ordering noooowwww!
September 29, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It’s written by a young black woman and I’m an old white woman, so on the surface we have little in common. But that’s why I liked it. It opened my eyes to people, and places, I had no experience of. Many of the women discussed I had heard of or was at least aware of, like Diane Abbott and Hattie McDaniel, but I still learned more.
And there were many, many fascinating women I’d never heard of, and that is one of the reasons I’m grateful to Ms White. These women deserve to be more widely known. I’m researching several including Mary Fields and Mary McLeod Bethune and Wangari Maathai who was given a six month jail sentence for calling her husband incompetent during her divorce but ended up with a Nobel Peace Prize.
Ms White is an excellent writer and manages to make this complex book very readable by following her golden thread through the whole narrative. It isn’t a lecture or a polemic but a clear tribute to some astonishing black women and a great success in bringing their names into the light. It deserves to be widely read and I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn about such strong, amazing women.
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley
And there were many, many fascinating women I’d never heard of, and that is one of the reasons I’m grateful to Ms White. These women deserve to be more widely known. I’m researching several including Mary Fields and Mary McLeod Bethune and Wangari Maathai who was given a six month jail sentence for calling her husband incompetent during her divorce but ended up with a Nobel Peace Prize.
Ms White is an excellent writer and manages to make this complex book very readable by following her golden thread through the whole narrative. It isn’t a lecture or a polemic but a clear tribute to some astonishing black women and a great success in bringing their names into the light. It deserves to be widely read and I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn about such strong, amazing women.
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley
June 24, 2023
This is a spectacular exploration of Black womanhood - the storytelling was seamless, balancing history and memoir, with lovely prose and heartfelt appreciation for Black women everywhere.
I was listening to the audiobook and wasn’t able to take notes, so I can’t give a rundown on the contents. But so much of it lingers with me. The deconstruction of ‘Aunt Jemima’ and the women who were silenced until their stories could be reclaimed. Translation—of language, literature, action—as both resistance and loss. The weight and cost of being ‘the first.’ The women who come before, the grandmothers, who provide the foundation for all the possibilities that come after, and the mothers, who fight for a better world for their children.
I received a free audiobook from NetGalley in return for an honest review. It was narrated by the author, and beautifully! I could listen to her read the phone book, as they used to say. They way she brought it all to life really added an extra depth to the joy and weight and fire of the writing.
I was listening to the audiobook and wasn’t able to take notes, so I can’t give a rundown on the contents. But so much of it lingers with me. The deconstruction of ‘Aunt Jemima’ and the women who were silenced until their stories could be reclaimed. Translation—of language, literature, action—as both resistance and loss. The weight and cost of being ‘the first.’ The women who come before, the grandmothers, who provide the foundation for all the possibilities that come after, and the mothers, who fight for a better world for their children.
I received a free audiobook from NetGalley in return for an honest review. It was narrated by the author, and beautifully! I could listen to her read the phone book, as they used to say. They way she brought it all to life really added an extra depth to the joy and weight and fire of the writing.
March 13, 2025
🎧 3.75 stars. I really liked the way this book included the stories of women we don’t really think of, or we simplify their contributions. I liked the idea of a thread binding all these people together and how people are one big web. And not just any thread, a thread of gold. However, in the last chapter I wanted to be like, I understand you don’t need to say it every paragraph. The intense repetition of it in the last chapter to me took away some of its umph.
I am glad I read this for my goodreads March Challange, I will say. I think this was a great book to read for women’s history month especially since it highlights the history of specifically black women and addresses stereotypes and how racist perceptions of black women have perpetuated slavery to today.
I am glad I read this for my goodreads March Challange, I will say. I think this was a great book to read for women’s history month especially since it highlights the history of specifically black women and addresses stereotypes and how racist perceptions of black women have perpetuated slavery to today.
August 26, 2023
Thank you to #Netgalley and #Dialogue books for giving me access to this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Catherine White writes compassionately and with such loving prose about black womanhood, using history and key cultural figures to redress the balance. She has chosen some incredible women to highlight her point. My favourite part was easily that of Hattie McDaniel. I only knew of her as an actress, playing Mammy in Gone with the Wind. I had no idea what an amazing, complex woman, poet, comedienne and activist she was. I shall certainly be buying a copy and look forward to more from Catherine White.
Catherine White writes compassionately and with such loving prose about black womanhood, using history and key cultural figures to redress the balance. She has chosen some incredible women to highlight her point. My favourite part was easily that of Hattie McDaniel. I only knew of her as an actress, playing Mammy in Gone with the Wind. I had no idea what an amazing, complex woman, poet, comedienne and activist she was. I shall certainly be buying a copy and look forward to more from Catherine White.
June 13, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up.
I enjoyed learning the history of so many amazing women that are rarely celebrated. I struggled to get through this book because of the format - the author jumped between personal blips of her story and roughly connected pieces of other’s stories connected each chapter by a broad concept. These stories need to be told, I’m glad I read this, but the structure just wasn’t for me.
Thank you NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. #netgalley #thisthreadofgold
I enjoyed learning the history of so many amazing women that are rarely celebrated. I struggled to get through this book because of the format - the author jumped between personal blips of her story and roughly connected pieces of other’s stories connected each chapter by a broad concept. These stories need to be told, I’m glad I read this, but the structure just wasn’t for me.
Thank you NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. #netgalley #thisthreadofgold
June 14, 2023
Such a educational book. I really enjoy the fact that tell the story of different women for the history but talk too about woman on our modern days. I truly enjoy the tread that the autor create between culture, womanhood and society. The book of beautifully written, is such a easy to ready book and I Belive it will be a eye open book for anyone who read it. Book is out the 22 of this month so preorder it, preorder books really help authors.
August 8, 2023
Thank you to Dialogue Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars.
Part memoir, part historic account, part social and current affairs. This book covers it all. I found myself nodding along with the author's sentiments so many times as well as learning more about historic black women that I previously didn't know about. This book manages to capture you so effortlessly and does an amazing job at celebrating trailblazing women from all around the world and through history while also addressing areas in our present time that must be addressed and intensely looked at. A book that I will instantly be recommending.
4.5 stars.
Part memoir, part historic account, part social and current affairs. This book covers it all. I found myself nodding along with the author's sentiments so many times as well as learning more about historic black women that I previously didn't know about. This book manages to capture you so effortlessly and does an amazing job at celebrating trailblazing women from all around the world and through history while also addressing areas in our present time that must be addressed and intensely looked at. A book that I will instantly be recommending.
May 22, 2025
This Thread of Gold is a celebration of Black womanhood, weaving a gorgeous tapestry of resilience to bring together narratives that celebrate the triumph of Black female resistance. The metaphor of the “thread of gold” runs throughout the book, symbolizing the enduring legacy of Black women and their contributions to society.
Easy read, and an excellent balance of history and memoir.
“We are this thread of gold, and long may we shine”
Easy read, and an excellent balance of history and memoir.
“We are this thread of gold, and long may we shine”
September 21, 2024
This Thread of Gold: A Celebration of Black Womanhood by Catherine Joy White is a lovely and fierce account of pioneering black women through the last century from Hattie McDaniel through Justice Kentaji Brown Jackson. Catherine Joy White interweave her own thread of gold throughout the book in this tapestry celebrating black womanhood. I truly love this book and highly recommend it!!
July 8, 2023
Wow! What a beautifully written, thought-provoking and moving book. I read it as a white mother, yet much resonated with me, and even more educated me. An inspirational book for all. The letter to your daughter at the end was some of the most beautiful writing I have ever read. Thank you.
July 14, 2024
Completely lost for words. So beautifully written while also being obviously brilliantly researched and educational. Heart wrenching, uplifting, shocking, all in one book. Sometimes, all in one page. Just stunning
December 31, 2023
One of the best non fiction books i’ve read
March 8, 2025
Excellent!
April 4, 2025
Enjoyed this audiobook
April 8, 2025
Not exactly what I was expecting, but beautifully written and a quick read.
April 19, 2025
empowering, not groundbreaking, but still important
May 25, 2025
I enjoyed this nonfictional outlook on Black women. We need more books highlighting the accolades of BIPOC folks.
April 2, 2025
This book was, in a word, beautiful. I picked it up as part of a long list for Women's History Month. I did not expect this book to wrap itself around me, and glimmer through my soul like the threads of gold woven throughout the stories within it. I loved the flow of the stories, taking us from history into memoir and back again. I learned so much through this narrative!
Speaking of narrative, this was an easy read for me. I brought this book to a silent reading happy hour with a book club, and in that hour, I blazed through 55% of the book. Granted, I'm a fast reader, but the book also flowed so easily. It was a joy to read.
Speaking of narrative, this was an easy read for me. I brought this book to a silent reading happy hour with a book club, and in that hour, I blazed through 55% of the book. Granted, I'm a fast reader, but the book also flowed so easily. It was a joy to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews