Review
“Josephine Baker certainly shook things up. This memoir demonstrates — vividly — the pleasure she took in doing it.”
—The Washington Post
“[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
“A rare, intimate picture of Baker emerges in her memoir, Fearless and Free. . . The book peels back the myth to bring readers the high-spirited child who grew up poor on Bernard Street in St. Louis, brought home lost animals and made faces in school.”
—Smithsonian
“Baker’s matchless character propels the reader. She exudes love and life on the page. And that voice! Her younger one, bright, witty, effervescent, and her older one, wiser, angrier, and still so funny. Her storytelling is writerly and precise, with satisfying arcs in a single sentence or a page… A delightful, nourishing read.”
—The Guardian
“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
“As with Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, its joy lies in its distinctive voice… it feels like the closest you are going to come with an audience with the woman… [Baker’s] book leaves you with no doubt about her unique power.”
—The Times
“This is the kind of book that’ll make you search online for videos of its author onstage, and it’ll send you in search for other books about Josephine Baker. Though it doesn’t include enough years, if you love biographies, ‘Fearless and Free’ can’t be beat.”
—The Philadelphia Tribune
“A riveting account of Baker’s life… 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.”
—Jenn M. Jackson, PhD, author of Black Women Taught Us
“At long last, we can now immerse ourselves in Josephine Baker’s dazzling world. In between snapshots of her American childhood and European coming-of-age, Baker regales us with chatty asides about friendship, food, fashion, and her unyielding love of animals. Fearless and Free breaks the mold of a memoir; it’s a story about a true original, told in an original fashion.”
—Tamara J. Walker, author of New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice Beyond the Shores
“A vivid impression of her ebullient personality, extravagant love for animals, and overflowing generosity.”
—Kirkus
“The memoir captures how Baker thinks and feels (her empathy for suffering people comes up often) and her philosophies of life and performance…This dialogue with Baker revels in her poetic and often humorous way of speaking.”
—Library Journal
About the Author
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.
