Fearless and Free

Translated gorgeously into English… [Baker’s] storytelling is writerly and precise, with satisfying arcs in a single sentence or a page… a delightful, nourishing read * Guardian *[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 audio with the woman… Baker was no saint, but this book leaves you with no doubt about her unique power * The Times *Josephine Baker certainly shook things up. This memoir demonstrates - vividly - the pleasure she took in doing it * Washington Post *A vivid impression of her ebullient personality, extravagant love for animals, and overflowing generosity * Kirkus *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[Fearless and Free] is lively and humorous, at once candid and reticent… [it] paint[s] an engaging picture of the early world of light entertainment and of the movements against racism that swept the world in the 1950s and 1960s * Times Literary Supplement *

Josephine Baker (Author)

Josephine Baker was born in 1906, in St Louis, Missouri. After performing in New York during the Harlem Renaissance as a teenager, she sailed to Paris in 1925 at the age of 19. She became a star there during the 20s, achieving international celebrity. In 1927 she became the first black woman to star in a major motion picture.

When the Second World War broke out Baker joined the French intelligence agency and was awarded for her bravery. During the 50s and 60s she became involved in the civil rights movement - in 1963 she spoke at the March on Washington alongside Martin Luther King. In later life she adopted twelve children. Baker died in 1975.

Sophie Lewis (Translator)

Sophie Lewis translates from French and Portuguese. She has translated books by Jules Verne, Marcel Aymé, Violette Leduc, Emmanuelle Pagano, Stendhal and João Gilberto Noll.