Josephine

by Josephine Baker, Jo Bouillon

Capturing the charm of its subject, an autobiography features the voices of Josephine Baker's friends, lovers, colleagues, and family, and chronicles her rise to fame on Broadway and in Paris, and French resistance work during World War II. Reprint. IP.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Biography, History, Memoir, African American

Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

American-French entertainer Josephine Baker, originally Freda Josephine McDonald, a popular jazz dancer and singer in Paris during the 1920s and 1930s, worked for the Resistance during World War II.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephi...

Reviews

[Theophilus (Theo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I had heard of Josephine Baker, but knew nothing about her. Her dream of a colorless society where everyone is treated with equal respect seems like a fantasy today, but she lived her life trying to prove that it was possible. This book is compiled fron her notes and letters with comments by those who knew and loved her. Her husband Jo provides wonderful personal insight into her hidden life and her super-motivation to reach her goal. Like many African Americans, soldiers and civilians, who played contributing roles in the fight for European liberty in the two world wars, she was recognized by France, but not by the United States. The humiliation she suffered by American society seem incredible, but were true, not just for her but many others, artists, musicians, soldiers, and writers of color who felt it necessary, or were forced to leave the country of their birth for a foreign land where they could ply their talents. This book excited me. It brought memories of so many great Americans of color besides herself, James Baldwin, Paul Robeson, James Reese Europe, and many others that need to have their names recognized in this country. I am grateful to her for telling her own story in the letters and notes she left behind and to her husband Jo for seeing that they were published.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so hard to believe Josephine Baker was an actual real-life person who strolled around Paris with a leopard, almost took over the civil rights movement after MLKs death, had twelve (12!!!!) children, and performed until her death at 69 years!! How can anyone ever top this life, really...

[James Roberts moved to StoryGraph. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never realized what a fascinating life Josephine Baker lived. The book itself is interestingly pieced together, with husband Jo Bouillon and other members of Josephine Baker’s family adding their own voices to the narrative, making for a more well rounded tale that blends autobiography and biography into a unique picture of its subject.

[Jilene Chua · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about Josephine Baker's global and political impact as a performer touring all over the world, the complexity of her personality portrayed from the roles she played as a dancer, singer, mother, business woman, wife, and human rights activist, and her various encounters with famous political and cultural figures. Considering how this book spans all throughout the 1920s to the 1970s, it is also an early example of how a woman navigates her professional and domestic roles as a world famous performer, a mother of her adopted children from all countries ranging from Japan to Finland to Venezuela, and her ideals of racial and religious equality. She is idealistic, passionate, devoted, hard-working and nurturing, but she is also stubborn, impulsive, and unreasonable (as observed from the collapse of her marriage and the eventual loss of her various properties). Even though she spends the majority of her life living in France, it was interesting to see her impact on the American civil rights movement and other rights-based movements in other parts of the world.

[Callie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. Decent autobiography, but I did want more than surface level reflections. I think the book focused far too much on Les Milandes. Yes, it was Josephine's passion project and probably did take up quite a large parcel of her life. But we're given glossed-over "Josephine went to work 24/7 for Le Milandes" without us ever getting to experience her work. I wanted to be backstage more! I wanted the glitz and the glamour! I wanted to hear more about her friendships and tribulations (other than her money and estate woes). It truly seems Josephine was her own worst enemy when it came to Les Milandes. which is really the only lesson I got from this book.

[Candelaria Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love autobiographies and I found this one riveting although I had the feeling a lot was left out. It was especially moving to read about how serendipity played its hand in launching this legend's career, about her love for children and about how she decided to adopt children of different races. La Baker was definitely an international diva and broke down barriers for other women of color in the entertainment field.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a co-worker gave me this book, I knew nothing about the fabulous Josephine Baker. After reading this book, my world changed...for the better. What a remarkable woman. Her resilience to conquer all the bad things life threw at her inspired me. And that's why I will always be jazzy4josephine.

[Steve Wegman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The life story of Josephine Baker, told by writings of hers and her associates. Starting from abject poverty in St. Louis in 1906 she became a star of stage in France and ultimately worldwide, was involved in the French resistance in WW2, adopted 12 children from all over the world. She was determined, glamorous, impulsive, and apparently talented. She perceived France as less racist than the US and she campaigned for equality tirelessly. Her impulsiveness and bad money management caused her no end of problems.

[Rouchelle Coribot · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need your support! ❤️😇
Josephine Baker worked her whole life for integrated societies. Baker served the French resistance in every way she knew how. Notably, she sheltered Belgian refugees and resistance fighters in her residence.
Please join me in signing a petition to honor this iconic Josephine Baker by going to https://honorjosephinebaker.org and signing the petition to honor her at the 2023 Oscars. 🏆
#JosephineBaker #BakerservedtheFrench #French #Belgian #resistancefighters #Honor #Oscar2023 #Petition #Signup

[Sami Eerola · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book that is partially based on Baker's own writings about her life and interviews of people from her life. It gives a vivid picture of her personality, life, ideas and the atmosphere of the early 1900's slums and glamorous dance/music halls

I only took this book because i heard somewhere that her life story was interesting to read. So i had no bias reading it and now i am a fan. What a woman, what a hero and best of all, her music is wonderful!

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but a bit slow.

[Michael Norwitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew relatively little about Josephine Baker's life, and the extent of her success as a European exile, as well as the intensity to which she devoted her life to racial equality, were new to me and made fascinating (albeit not the most in-depth in terms of self-analysis) reading. This is largely an autobiography, with some 'gaps' filled in with segments from people in her life.

[Kiera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel as if I now know and understand Josephine Baker. What better way to understand someone's life than to listen to them explain it.It is a great autobiography with excerpts from her family and husband. I totally recommend it. Enjoy!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating biography about a fascinating woman