Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Josephine Baker's Last Dance
    Josephine Baker's Last Dance
    Josephine Baker's Last Dance
    Audiobook13 hours

    Josephine Baker's Last Dance

    Written by Sherry Jones

    Narrated by Adenrele Ojo

    3.5/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    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 prejudice and creating a more equitable world-in Josephine Baker's Last Dance.

    In this illuminating biographical novel, Sherry Jones spans Josephine's early years in servitude and poverty in America, to her rise to fame as a showgirl in her famous banana skirt, to 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHighbridge Company
    Release dateDec 4, 2018
    ISBN9781684414970
    Author

    Sherry Jones

    Author and journalist Sherry Jones is best known for her international bestseller The Jewel of Medina. She is also the author of The Sword of Medina, Four Sisters, All Queens, The Sharp Hook of Love, and the novella White Heart. She lives in Spokane, WA, where, like Josephine Baker, she enjoys dancing, singing, eating, advocating for equality, and drinking champagne. Visit her online at AuthorSherryJones.com and at Facebook.com/SherryJonesFanpage.

    Related to Josephine Baker's Last Dance

    Related audiobooks

    Biographical/AutoFiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Related categories

    Reviews for Josephine Baker's Last Dance

    3.5/5

    25 ratings9 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 1/5
      I didn't finish this book. I was intrigued by the back cover blurb that promised an "illuminating biographical novel," but was disappointed by the author's technique of skipping large chunks of time and only obliquely referring to other events. After reading about a third of the book, I decided that it probably wasn't going to get any better and set it aside in favor of another book in my TBR pile.
    • 4/5
      This was a riveting, well researched, fact based though slightly embellished account of the life of Josephine Baker from her childhood and beyond her rise to fame, becoming the highest paid black performer in the world. Since Josephine is no longer with us to be able to share her intimate thoughts, there was a good mix of story telling and facts. It held me captivated from start to finish as Josephine grew from a poverty stricken neglected child to a strong willed woman who stood along side MLK to fight for civil rights.

      I received an advance copy for review.
    • 4/5
      I read this book in one sitting. While I heard of Josephine Baker, I did not know the details of her life. Born in severe poverty to a non existent (perhaps white) father, and a very verbally abusive mother, she rose above it all through sheer determination.Told she was too black, too ugly, and too stupid, she showed her adversaries and the world that a poor girl could become a world star. Her career started in Paris, France where she was known as the 19 year old girl who danced naked on the stage, rising to fame in her famous banana skirt dance.Embraced in France, when she returned to the United States, she once again was saddened by the extreme prejudice and discrimination.She refused to perform where blacks were prohibited. Rising to fame by her activism, she spoke before Martin Luther King, Jr. during the March on Washington.Becoming a member of the French Resistance during World War II, she helped others defy Hitler and his reign of terror.This is a fascinating study of a woman he refused to remain where people wanted her to remain!This is a five star read for me.
    • 4/5
      I'm not sure why I haven't heard more of Josephine Baker, because her life is too fascinating for only one novelist to tackle it. Growing up in poverty and segregated St. Louis, Josephine rises to fame in the 1920s and finds a home in Paris, France, where her performances become a symbol of the Jazz Age. She continues, with personal ups and downs, to sing and dance through the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. She had a bad manager who stole her own money, she aided the French Resistance, she refused to perform for segregated audiences, and she adopted a tribe of mixed race children and gave them a home at her French chateau. Josephine was a fascinating woman and in some ways, I felt like this novel was just a teaser about her life. I want to know more and hopefully others find this story just as fascinating.
    • 3/5
      Interesting but a frustrating writing style that leaves you wondering if you missed something.
    • 2/5
      Born into poverty, Josephine was a wild and rambunctious girl. To tame her, her parents sent her off to work in the homes of the wealthy as a maid. Time and time again she returned home, desperate for her parents love. Trying to find a place in the world, she began dancing comedic roles. Her talent quickly landed her a job and she found herself working in Paris. Looking for better opportunities, Josephine took the role of the "savage dancer," becoming the first topless black dancer in Paris. Her fame spiraled from there. Throughout the book, Josephine continually found, and then lost, love, something she craved more than anything. Although this was an interesting book, the author continually skipped huge periods of time, and then told about them in a paragraph or two. There was a time that she was in America and she decided to leave her man, the Count. Suddenly, it was two years later. Briefly the author mentioned that she had married and converted to Judaism. Why did the author skip over that time? Also, there was a brief mention of adopting children, and then nothing. What about the time she spent adopting and raising children? The book was well written, however, it skipped over too many important events. Wikipedia gave me more information on some periods of her life than this book did. Overall, a bust.
    • 5/5
      Josephine Baker, born in 1906 to a poor family in St. Louis, was used pretty much as a slave from the time she could walk. Her mother put her out to white families as a live in servant, with Josephine’s pay going to her. Josephine never saw anything of it. Worse, she was sexually abused starting at an early age. But she was determined that she would be a dancer and singer; it was the one way she could see out of her impoverished situation. She just needed to get a chance….She was told by producers that she was too skinny, too dark, and didn’t have a strong enough voice to be a chanteuse. She was relegated to the chorus line in all people of color reviews. But in 1925 she sailed to Paris and started breaking down barriers. She was the first woman of color on a Paris stage, the first to star in a movie, the first to sing in an opera. But her most famous act is, sadly, something that started as sarcasm. She was designing her own costumes in Paris. The man in charge, however, thought she was trying to dress too elegantly. So she drew her next costume as a skirt (a belt, really) of bananas and nothing else. That, of course, is what the costume maker produced and that is what she danced in for many performances, and that is the picture that will come up first when you Google her. In Paris she was received as an equal, not some subhuman servant like she was see in the US. She was the center of any party, the star of the stage. She rubbed elbows with the American ex-pats. Of course, the Nazis came and everything went to hell. So she did what any rebel would do- she joined the French Resistance. As a star and party giver, she had access to the Nazi bigwigs who didn’t know she spoke German. She risked her life giving information to the Resistance- and then spent time flying supplies for the Red Cross. This was all exciting. After the war she led a much quieter life. She adopted 12 children, of different races and cultures. She tried to come back to the US, but found herself denied service in restaurants and denied rooms in hotels. She was treated like dirt. I loved the book, but the last part of her life was rushed over. What became of all her children? What kind of relationships did she have with them? After her last big performance- a production that frames the story- what did she do? I know she worked for equality. How did she die? Who was with her then? But it’s still a five star book, because I couldn’t put it down. She was a fascinating woman, and lived her life to the fullest.
    • 4/5
      Josephine Baker is well know for her dancing and singing and wild routines. However, her childhood growing up in Missouri, how she began in show business and her activism during World War II is less known. Josephine's rise to fame was anything but smooth as she endured poverty, racism, and sexual abuse. Through her own fortitude and determination Josephine carved a place out for herself in the entertainment industry and the world.As a dancer, Josephine Baker is someone I have learned about and idolized. Through this biographical story we are carried through the lesser known ups and downs of Josephine's exciting and controversial life. The opening scene absolutely dazzled me as we are thrown into Josephine's preparations for what would be her last performance. This is a perfect introduction to the person who is a true force of nature and a true performer. This introduction gave just enough hints into Josephine's life to keep me wondering about her life. The elegant writing conveyed the highs and lows of the journey through Josephine's life and the emotions that went alongside of it. I was constantly amazed at how Josephine pulled herself up again and again and continued to add good to the world after all that she went through. Josephine Baker's Last Dance is a whirlwind of an inspirational story of a remarkable woman.This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      fullsizeoutput_3869Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “Josephine Baker’s Last Dance” by Sherry Jones, Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster December 4, 2018Sherry 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.