An incredible historical biography of Josephine Baker. Known primarily for being an entertainer, she was so much more - barrier breaker, abuse survivor, resistance spy, and multilingual performer. Sherry Jones did a beautiful job with pacing, interspersing glimpses from her final show with the story of her life. It always amazes me to think that the world in the 1930s was more open and accepting than where we are today. However, that mainly applies to the Parisian world of Josephine Baker. As we already know (and as it's written in this book), the States were still wildly racist and homophobic.

On the whole, an informative, entertaining, and beautifully written novel about someone whose name is well-known, but maybe not her whole story. I'd like to think that Jones did her proud.

Remarkable woman. She was so ahead of her time. This isn't a biography of her life, per se, but a very true novelization of it. I found it an enjoyable read and think most people, even those with no real knowledge of Baker will enjoy reading about her amazing life.

I was disappointed in this novel and ended up skimming the last two thirds hoping it would improve. For me it did not. Josephine Baker was a pioneer in so many ways and such a positive thinker. I felt none of this came out in the story I read, which was so dreary and depressing in the beginning that the writer left me wondering why Josephine hadn't simply killed herself. Thankfully in real life she did not. There had to have been things, or at least a thing which kept her going, and this was never brought out that I could see. On top of that, a lot of conversation was added which can only be speculative.

Make no mistake: her life was miserable as a child because her family was poor, she had a poor relationship with her mother, and she never did know who her father was. She did have her hands scalded by a bitch of an employer, but this was for using too much detergent in the laundry, not from breaking a plate as is told here. The way it was depicted in this fictional version made little sense, and there was no reason to change it from what really happened. She did cohabit with a much older guy when in her mid-teens, but the way it was depicted here was that it was forced on her, not her own choice, however problematic that choice may have been for her.

To me it felt as though the story had been deliberately loaded in as negative a way as possible - which was so unnecessary - that it felt like it cheapened the real story while at the same time, nothing was added to leaven the tale and balance it out, so it was nothing but a depressing read for me for as far as I went.

It was at this point that I began to skim in the hope of finding something of the optimistic, positive, perky and bouncy Josephine I knew was supposed to come, but I never found anything. Naturally, I may have missed some of this, but if it had been there in full, I cannot possible have missed it all, so where was it? I should never have had to search for it in the first place. Josephine should have been right there, and she was not.

On that basis, I cannot commend this as a worthy read.

I read about a quarter of this book, and I'm giving up. I just don't feel like I can get attached to Josephine enough to keep reading. She certainly had a difficult childhood, and I'm empathetic, but I feel very detached from these vignettes about her life and the characters around her. Maybe it's the format - skimming over events without a lot of emotion. It may just be my tastes for stories.

I knew very little about Josephine Baker prior to read this except what I had seen once on Mysteries at the Museum (the event mentioned on that show is in the book as well). It was an interesting book, going back and forth in the beginning between present and past and gives an overall description of her origins and how she ended up the way she did.

. Although a bit wordy at times, the author creates good connection between her reader and her characters so that they can feel the emotions and struggle with throughout the book. I recommend this book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started this book. I didn't know much about Josephine. I am so glad I chose this book now. She was an amazing woman who came from nothing. I wish more had been written about her life after she became a mother but it didn't stop this from being a page turner. She helped so many people (no spoilers here) and made such a name for herself.

I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and the author herself in exchange for an honest review.

This is not a cookie cutter biographical fiction book. It does not provide details on every aspect of Josephine Baker's life. The information provided also is not all in chronological order. What Jones does is highlight an individual whose life and legacy have been lost to time. I knew nothing of Josephine Baker going into this book. After reading it I am aware that there are still a lot of specifics about her life that I still don't know. That doesn't matter because I know the book is fiction. Jones writes a tale that is nothing less than sensual. There is confusion, heartache, despair, ambition, determination, eroticism, grit, pride and so much more. If you actually read this book you will feel the energy that courses through it. If you skim it because it seems too "descriptive" then you are missing out on Jones' mastery of the English language. Let us take the time in reading this book to applaud one woman's temerity against those who said she wouldn't amount to anything. Also, who wouldn't want to read about a table top dancing grandma

What an amazing story! Who knew that Josephine Baker, singer and dancer from the 20's to the 60's, was so much more: resistance hero, spy, designer. From her terrible upbringing in poverty with an abusive mother and indifferent stepfather, to the people in her life who should have protected her but did opposite, in spite of all this, she rose to great heights as a performer and un-sung hero.

Sherry Jone's book will open your eyes to the real story behind the legend and myth that was promulgated. Barely educated, unable to read much, constrained by the lack of civil rights and the huge barrier of racism, Josephine Baker moves to France and becomes an international star. Through incredibly hard work and in spite of not a little bad judgement along the way (particularly in men) Josephine Baker makes and loses a fortune and becomes an American icon (even though she comes to think of herself as French). A truly wonderful book, you will laugh, cry, cringe right along with Ms. Baker.

Josephine Baker was so much more than her banana skirt! A dancer, singer, spy, and political activist. An entertaining look at an extraordinary life.

This was a great combination of story telling and non-fiction. This is marked as historical fiction, but from page one you can feel heart of the author and all the research that was completed. When I am reading about a particular person, I always find myself looking them up and other names associated. Spot on for the descriptions within this novel.

What an extraordinary life Ms. Baker was a phenomenal woman. I learned so much about her by just reading this novel.
Thank you NetGalley, Sherry Jones and Simon & Shuster!

Josephine Baker was indeed strong, powerful and hard to ignore. She was a woman driven by her terrible upbringing and dreadful young life. I learned a great deal about Joséphine Baker and owe this to the voluminous research obviously done by the author to bring this historically factionalized novel to us. I agree with another reviewer, who said the author continually skipped periods in time and then told about them in a paragraph or two. These gaps left me feeling disconnected. I would search the Internet, while reading, for clarification. Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Josephine Baker’s Last Dance, by Sherry Jones, takes us on a journey of historical fiction as the life of Josephine Baker is presented in full. From Josephine's mean streets beginnings to her grand success in France, the escapades and frustrations are revealed. 

The story telling takes place through the lens of one last autobiographical performance by Baker, which presents a somewhat uneven but highly entertaining view of highlights from her life.  She truly was a trailblazer on many fronts, including performance art, civil rights, and equality. The author fairly balances the story of her personal and professional struggles, but rushes to the finish line. Chapters of Josephine's life, including how she supported herself after the war, how she built her rainbow tribe, and her later years are not covered in as much depth as the ealier periods of her life. Even so, Sherry Jones provides a wild ride with Josephine, encouraging readers to set aside inhibitions and enjoy the trip.

Josephine Baker's Last Dance is a fictionalized version of Baker's life, told in the framework of her last show. As she performs an autobiographical review, she reflects on the events as they truly happened as opposed to the sterilized versions on stage. Having overcome a horrible childhood in St. Louis, Josephine pushes herself to become a huge star in Paris. Never content to settle, she is part of the French resistance before becoming part of the fight for equal rights in the United States.

This novelization of Baker's life was interesting, although the beginning that addressed her childhood was difficult to read. Having no previous knowledge of the events in her life, I now want to read more about her. I find that desire to occur only when the fictionalization of a real figure is captivating.

I will admit that I didn't know a lot about Josephine Baker. This book peaked my interest for that very reason. I found a lot to admire. This woman rose up from the bottom of society with no help from anyone but herself. I was fascinated by her time as a spy during WWII and her fight for equality throughout her lifetime. The author painted a brilliant picture of her and didn't shy away from the troublesome parts of Baker's life.

Josephine Baker lived an astonishing life. I was excited to read this fictionalized account to truly hear her story. Baker came up from a poor black child who suffered a variety of abuses to the stare of stage and screen and even became a spy!
My heart broke for each indignity she lived through. She suffered at the hands of her family, employers, and even her peers. Her story was heartbreaking and I was rooting for her rise to show everyone she was somebody.
But as the author transitions to her adult life, a lot of the emotion was gone. Not because she'd didn't have trials, but because I wasn't emotionally invested. The story jumps time periods and sometimes details are trailed behind and I don't get what is going on. The spy section was written without much suspense pretty much hopping from one danger to another. When it comes to Josephine's children, the author didn't set up for that to be a revelation that she must have children. There are examples of her wanting a baby but I was never sold that she would give up her life to have them. In fact, there were many times I just didn't like Josephine; I didn't understand why she jumped from man to man. Her emotions weren't really explored on this front. Did she just enjoy sex? did she just want them to further her career? Was she looking for a certain kind of love because she was broken?
Josephine Baker's Last Dance is very educational and chronicles an amazing life but it just doesn't give the emotional punch needed to truly understand her.

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.

This was an amazing read! I love reading about Josephine Baker and this account flows as a very easy and captivating read .Even if you don't know anything about her life this would be a good gateway into researching her life.

This book reads like a fiction novel but all of the facts are true. Follow Josephine all the way through her abusive childhood, her rise to stardom, clear through until she died. She was fun, enchanting, and loved to have fun. You can tell by reading this that the author was passionate about writing it. You can actually almost feel the characters come to life.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a true story based on the life of a black woman, Josephine Baker. Times were hard. Her mother sent her away to live with a white family where she endured sexual abuse. Josephine and her siblings endured physical and emotional abuse at home. Josephine’s sister endured the loss of the vision in an eye. Josephine suffered what most blacks went through; for example, “They didn’t like sharing the hotel with a Negro!”

Josephine had a strong interest in theater. She learned blacks were more accepted in France than they were in America. “…in East Saint Louis, Josephine had seen white – people shooting Negroes for getting factory jobs they wanted for themselves.” The inequity causes the reader to sympathize with Josephine and her family, “Lord, why didn’t you make us all one color?” “Josephine thought Daddy Arthur wrong to blame God. The problem wasn’t the darkness of Negro skin, but the blackness of the human heart—or, at least, of the white American heart.”

The book takes the reader through the tough times for Josephine in her attempts to succeed in dance and theater. Eventually, she found success in France with “authentic Negro dancing” with a “clown” aspect. She included singing in her performances. Josephine broke dancing barriers through nude dancing where she filled the house night after night with sell out performances. She had no desire to return to America, “She’d rather die than go back to that sorry life where she couldn’t eat in restaurants, couldn’t use the bathroom, couldn’t even take a drink from the water fountain.” “She’d rather die here, or anywhere else, than live in America. ”…she felt more French than American…” Her feelings speaks to America’s racist bias. Josephine wanted to show the world that “skin color meant mothering, because people were the same inside, all wanting love.” Josephine made an attempt at shows in America again without success; however, she became well-known and quite wealthy. Eventually, she renounced her American citizenship.

Josephine had numerous marriages, affairs, and had no biological children (much to her chagrin). She eventually adopted 12 children “in the name of equality and peace, her crusade against hatred.” During World War II, Josephine was instrumental working under cover for the Allies. “…gossip about her being a Nazi sympathizer was the best cover she could ask for.” “While a single Nazi remained in Paris, Josephine Baker would not dance.”

In sum, “She became a big star… the Queen of Negro Women, first to dance nude on the Paris stage, first to lead in a move, she’d even starred in an opera, and all that fame had given her the cover she needed to help defeat the most evil man ever born…” To the end, Josephine worked tirelessly with her “mission: to end racial prejudice…. Prejudice isn’t something we’re born with, but something we learn.”

This is a true story that causes the reader to stop and think. I recommend the book if you like autobiographies.