From the author of The Jewel of Medina, a moving and insightful novel based on the life of legendary performer and activist Josephine Baker, perfect for fans of The Paris Wife and Hidden Figures. Discover the fascinating and singular life story of Josephine Baker–actress, singer, dancer, Civil Rights activist, member of the French Resistance during WWII, and a woman dedicated to erasing … and a woman dedicated to erasing prejudice and creating a more equitable world–in Josephine Baker’s Last Dance.
In this illuminating biographical novel, Sherry Jones brings to life Josephine’s early years in servitude and poverty in America, her rise to fame as a showgirl in her famous banana skirt, her activism against discrimination, and her many loves and losses. From 1920s Paris to 1960s Washington, to her final, triumphant performance, one of the most extraordinary lives of the twentieth century comes to stunning life on the page.
With intimate prose and comprehensive research, Sherry Jones brings this remarkable and compelling public figure into focus for the first time in a joyous celebration of a life lived in technicolor, a powerful woman who continues to inspire today.
more
The mesmerizing chanteuse who shattered race barriers and hearts across the world is brought to vivid, unstoppable life in Josephine Baker’s Last Dance. The champagne swirl of the Jazz Age fuels this amazing, untold story of a defiant woman who fought her way from poverty to become the toast of Europe, infamous for her bawdy act and banana-peel-barely-there skirt. Jones’s Josephine is complicated and human: a courageous artist on a quest for freedom under the haunting legacy of race inequality; she emerges as not only a fantastic icon from the past in her own right, but also as a mirror and example for today.
Sherry Jones takes us on a remarkable journey of heartbreak and empowerment. Josephine Baker’s Last Dance is a bold and beautiful book about a bold and beautiful life. This book left its mark on me.
I love Sherry Jones and the variety to be found in her books, so I was very excited to read her newest offering, Josephine Baker’s Last Dance.
From the very beginning I was held entranced by this incredible story and the life behind it. The first few chapters demonstrated the wildness of youth and a strength unknown to many. Josephine’s
life was truly fascinating, and it was as if I was along for the ride so vivid were the sights and sounds I was reading about. It was a fabulous journey alongside an extraordinary woman.
When I was less than 150 pages into the book, I just had to sit back for a minute and think about what a remarkable life Josephine was living and not yet 21 years old. It rendered me speechless and made it hard to step away from the story for any length of time.
And yet amidst the bright lights and loud life, Jones did a terrific job of showing that life when outside the limelight and the feelings held deep within our Josephine. There was a yearning there that was often overshadowed by the laughter and passion. Those emotions were there for the reader to feel and made this book one that will certainly stick with me for quite some time even after the end.
When I read about Josephine’s life in Paris in the late 30’s and early 40’s as the Nazi invasion and war loomed on the horizon, there was an eerie and ominous feel to the story. Here was a woman with a fire burning inside and a brave spirit willing to help in any way that she could. I was truly in awe of her of her courage and the work that she did to aid the allies.
When Josephine returned to America and began her work for racial equality I cheered along with every triumph. She had already seen and done so much in her life, and yet here she was determined to do even more.
Jones did an absolutely amazing job with writing this book. Josephine was truly a force to be reckoned with and I was completely enamoured with her by the end of the book. Josephine Baker’s Last Dance comes highly recommended by me.
This was a great book about a woman who grew up as a child with a rough home life and danced and sung her way up to stardom. She thought that getting through life was about finding love in a man and reaching your dream involved degrading yourself if that’s what the people want and not what she wants. As Josephine grew up, she started seeing that she doesn’t need a man and is worth so much more. She gave up that miserable lifestyle for a life that has meaning. She became a pilot, a spy for a French Resistance, and became a civil rights activist. She fought racism and prejudice against her race, which inspired so many people. She also helped the Red Cross and adopted children without the help of a man. I highly reccgomend this book!
This will be one of my favorite books of the year.
It is a touching, engrossing and enlightening tale based on the life of legendary chanteuse and dancer Josephine Baker.
It is told in lush prose with such expressive power you feel as if you’re floating through the story absorbing all the rich detail. The sense of time and place is so fine it’s as if you are there.
From her childhood of poverty and servitude in St. Louis, Missouri to her start at the Booker T. Washington Theater, her triumph of Paris, her time working for the French Resistance in WWII, her activism for civil rights in the 1960s having faced prejudice her whole life, it’s the remarkable tale of a remarkable woman who lived a singular life.
We also learn about her many passions as well as her disappointments and setbacks. This novel has it all.
Through talent, will, determination and more than a little spunk Josephine rose above it all to become one of the most beloved entertainers of all time.
I can not begin to describe how truly extraordinary this book is other than to say it is a must read.
So, read it
I really enjoyed this book. It’s touted as a “biographical novel,” and from what additional research I’ve done myself (which isn’t much) it does appear to be mostly biographical. This was quite a woman! “Tenacious” doesn’t even begin to touch her personality. I love the layout of this book. The author takes us through Ms. Baker’s final performance–a show that is a review of her life. But it’s not really her life–it’s the version that the world wants to see. With each scene, we get a look into what really happened. And this author does a fantastic job of moving the story along while still painting a beautiful picture. I’m so thankful that I was able to receive this book as part of a giveaway. I received a very enjoyable read and also walked away with a new appreciation for a courageous woman that I may have never known.
I was not familiar with Josephine Baker before I read this very revealing biographical novel about her. Josephine was a Black girl born in St. Louis, MO in 1906 to a poor family and was forced to go to work at age 6 to help support her family. Josephine had very little interest in school and loved to perform at the local theater where she danced, sang and was somewhat of a comic with her facial expressions. Josephine had to deal with racism, segregation and sexual abuse on her way from poverty to stardom in Europe, mostly in Paris, France as an actress, singer and dancer. She was a Civil Rights activist and a member of the French resistance during World War II as well. This is a very well researched and well written novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “Josephine Baker’s Last Dance” by Sherry Jones, Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster December 4, 2018
Sherry Jones , Author of “Josephine Baker’s Last Dance” has written an entertaining , engrossing, and intriguing Biographical Novel about Josephine Baker’s Last Dance. The author vividly describes the costume and makeup that Josephine Baker wore for her final performance. Surrounding this, the author takes the readers back to the past and introduces us to a young Josephine, who is abused, neglected and made to feel unwanted. Josephine was born of color in America and grew up in poverty . Instead of being at school, her mother had her work as a child domestic.
Sherry Jones uses her creative imagination to fill in the spaces, and uses fiction to portray Josephine’s rise to popularity as a performer. Josephine was very young, energetic and hyper, and was extremely talented. Josephine traveled to France where she danced provocatively, and learned to sing. She was very popular around the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. Although, Josephine didn’t finish school in America,, she did learn to fly an airplane, and during World War Two, she would fly supplies to help the Red Cross.
I was surprised to learn that Josephine helped and worked for the French Resistance and worked hard to fight prejudice and worked for integration. The author sets the stage for the life of Josephine Baker and shows us how the world was made better because of her. I would recommend this Biographical novel to those readers who enjoy this genre.
Josephine Baker’s Last Dance was an entertaining and captivating read! Josephine Baker withstood so many obstacles in her life and those obstacles shaped her. Racism, segregation, poverty and sexual abuse. The author brought Josephine to life, showing us the real woman behind the public persona. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!