Fearless and Free: A Memoir
Contributor(s): Baker, Josephine (Author) , Oluo, Ijeoma (Foreword by) , Zafar, Anam (Translator) , Lewis, Sophie (Translator)
Publisher: Tiny Reparations Books     (View Publisher's Titles)
ISBN: 0593853695
Physical Info: 1.12" H x 8.63" L x 5.85" W (0.85 lbs) 304 pages
 
Josephine Baker (1906-1975) was a Broadway performer, dancer, and singer who headlined across Europe, and the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture. She served as a spy for the French Résistance, earning honors for her valor. She was a Civil Rights activist who marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. She passed away in 1975, and in 2021 Baker became the first Black woman to enter France's Panthéon.
"[A] trailblazing performer and activist's book... Much of her work still resonates today."
-- People
"This is Josephine Baker's story in her own words... Her voice is very strong in this story, and she is the best kind of person to read about. She is very funny and witty, humble and kind, and extremely eccentric."
--Kwame Alexander, TODAY
"Both a close look at one woman's prolific life and a walk through some of the most pivotal moments of 20th-century history."
--W Magazine
"Josephine Baker--the nazi-spying, pet-cheetah-owning, banana-skirt-dancing global icon--has written a memoir, and somehow, we are just getting it now... Finally, we English speakers are hearing how she did all that firsthand. It's about time."
--Oprah Daily
"[Baker] skips across her life, never dwelling on hardship, with an imaginative joie de vivre that offers a real glimpse of her presence.... She was a beacon of joy and fellowship and her smile...reaches out to us across the years."
--Financial Times
"[A] gem of a memoir... Its joy lies in its distinctive voice."
-- The Times
"A riveting account of Baker's life... confident and charismatic... In hearing her stream of consciousness thoughts and perspectives, the reader will come away with a sense that they have just read a diary of a dear friend who is modeling the path to being unapologetically themselves, leading a life of adventure and fulfillment. The reader is sure to be encouraged to follow Baker's lead and dive headfirst into their own one-of-a-kind future, fearless and free."
-- The New York Journal of Books
"In Fearless and Free, Josephine Baker--groundbreaking performer, audacious spy, and unflinching Civil Rights activist--shares intimate details of her life and times, proving she's as enthralling on the page as she was on the stage. This gorgeous, captivating gem of a memoir will both introduce Baker to a new generation of readers, and cement her legacy as an enduring international icon."
--Abbott Kahler, New York Times bestselling author of Eden Undone and Sin in the Second City
" Fearless and Free is a remarkable story of a remarkable woman. Reading Josephine Baker's life in her own words is like having the world's greatest tour guide to pivotal movements in history. The book allowed me to see the Roaring Twenties, World War II, and the Civil Rights Movement with fresh eyes. It is everything you hope a memoir could be."
--Matthew F. Delmont, author of New York Times Notable Book Half American
"While Josephine Baker is likely best known as an iconic and pathbreaking dancer and performer, this fascinating memoir, Fearless and Free, reveals that she was just as accomplished intellectually and strategically as a lieutenant for the French Resistance in World War II and civil rights activist. All the while, she gave her time, energy, and money to those more vulnerable than herself. Born in St. Louis, grown into one of France's greatest entertainers, Baker's story illustrates the ways that Black womanhood and the constant search for freedom fuels unimaginable feats. What an astonishingly beautiful life Josephine Baker lived. I am so grateful that she shared her life, her love, and her story with all of us. This book is a gift.