Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Josephine Baker’s Last Dance” by Sherry Jones

Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “Josephine Baker’s Last Dance” by Sherry Jones, Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster December 4, 2018

Sherry Jones , Author of “Josephine Baker’s Last Dance” has written an entertaining , engrossing,  and intriguing Biographical Novel about Josephine Baker’s Last Dance. The author vividly describes the costume and makeup that Josephine Baker wore for her final performance. Surrounding this, the author takes the readers back to the past and introduces us to a young Josephine, who is abused, neglected  and made to feel unwanted. Josephine was born of color in America and grew up  in poverty .  Instead of being at school, her mother had her work as a child domestic.

Sherry Jones uses her creative imagination to fill in the spaces, and uses fiction to portray  Josephine’s rise to popularity as a performer. Josephine was very young, energetic and hyper, and was extremely talented.  Josephine traveled to France where she danced provocatively, and learned to sing. She was very popular around the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. Although, Josephine didn’t finish school  in America,, she did learn to fly an airplane, and during World War Two, she would fly supplies to help the Red Cross.

I was surprised to learn that Josephine helped and worked for the French Resistance and worked  hard to fight prejudice and worked for integration. The author sets the stage for the life of Josephine Baker and shows us how the world was made better because of her. I would recommend this Biographical novel to those readers who enjoy this genre.