A Brand New Novel
Josephine Baker, the early-20th-century African-American dancer, comic, and singer–hugely famous in Paris. Did you know that she was also a spy for the French Resistance during WWII?
Callout
Josephine Baker’s Last Dance
From the author of The Jewel of Medina,
a moving and insightful novel based on the life of legendary performer and
activist Josephine Baker, perfect for fans of The Paris Wife and Hidden
Figures.
Discover the fascinating and singular life story
of Josephine Baker—actress, singer, dancer, Civil Rights activist, member of
the French Resistance during WWII, and a woman dedicated to erasing prejudice
and creating a more equitable world—in Josephine Baker’s Last Dance.
In this illuminating biographical novel, Sherry
Jones brings to life Josephine’s early years in servitude and poverty in
America, her rise to fame as a showgirl in her famous banana skirt, her
activism against discrimination, and her many loves and losses. From 1920s
Paris to 1960s Washington, to her final, triumphant performance, one of the
most extraordinary lives of the twentieth century comes to stunning life on the
page.
With intimate prose and comprehensive research,
Sherry Jones brings this remarkable and compelling public figure into focus for
the first time in a joyous celebration of a life lived in technicolor, a
powerful woman who continues to inspire today.
Purchase this book in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats on Simon and Schuster’s website (available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Indiebound, Kobo, and other sites).
• Editors’ pick, historical fiction, Goodreads and Bookbub
• #1 New Release, African-American historical fiction, Amazon
Praise for Josephine Baker’s Last Dance
- “Sherry Jones takes us on a remarkable journey of heartbreak and empowerment. Josephine Baker’s Last Dance is a bold and beautiful book about a bold and beautiful life. This book left its mark on me.”
– Susan Crandall, author of The Myth of Perpetual Summer
- “The mesmerizing chanteuse who shattered race barriers and hearts across the world is brought to vivid, unstoppable life in Josephine Baker’s Last Dance. The champagne swirl of the Jazz Age fuels this amazing, untold story of a defiant woman who fought her way from poverty to become the toast of Europe, infamous for her bawdy act and banana-peel-barely-there skirt. Jones’s Josephine is complicated and human: a courageous artist on a quest for freedom under the haunting legacy of race inequality; she emerges as not only a fantastic icon from the past in her own right, but also as a mirror and example for today. “
– C.W. Gortner, author of Mademoiselle Chanel
Reviews
• Kirkus Reviews: “The extraordinary story of a unique and unrivaled icon… Jones delivers a satisfying life of one endlessly fascinating person.”
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sherry-jones/josephine-bakers-last-dance/
• Booklist: “An entertaining portrait of a groundbreaking woman. Hand this to fans of Paula McLain’s The Paris Wife (2011), Liza Klaussman’s Villa America(2015), and other tales of Jazz Age artists.”
https://www.booklistonline.com/Josephine-Baker-s-Last-Dance/pid=9706958
• Pop Sugar: “An inspiring novel that women everywhere will find to be an important piece of literature in helping to bring about total equality in our current world.”
https://www.popsugar.com/love/photo-gallery/45336440/image/45336444/Josephine-Bakers-Last-Dance-Sherry-Jones-Out-Dec-4
• AudioFile: “Josephine Baker led a life that sounds more like that of a character in great literature than a groundbreaking entertainer, civil rights champion, and possible spy. But Baker was all of this and more. She was an international star, and Jones’s fictionalized account of her life…is certain to enthrall and possibly inspire.” https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/151000/josephine-bakers-last-dance-by-sherry-jones-read-by-adenrele-ojo/
• St. Louis Dispatch: “Jones offers readers…sparkling passages.”
https://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/books-and-literature/reviews/josephine-baker-has-last-dance-in-new-novel/article_d3856060-23a4-5bb4-a496-6ec3f53f6d99.html
St. Louis Public Library: “I enjoyed this book thoroughly, couldn’tput it down.” https://slplbookchallenge.blogspot.com/2018/12/josephine-bakers-last-dance.html#comment-form
Historical Novel Society: “It is evident that the author conducted meticulous research before writing this book, as she has brought Josephine Baker fully to life inits pages. Baker’s roller coaster of a life was filled with adventure, conflict, love, heartbreak, and success, and the author tells her story with gusto.”
Online Reviews:
• The SentenceFactory (Linda Waldman): “Josephine Baker’s Last Dance Tells an Important Story at the Right Moment.” “As a reviewer and as a reader, I loved Sherry Jones’ historical novel “Josephine Baker’sLast Dance.” The writing sparkles. Jones shows us Baker the human being, and incidents, accidents and deliberate decisions that led her to become an icon.”
• Book Reviews and Musings: “Sherry Jones is a brilliant author, and the timing of her book couldn’t be better. Regardless of your political party, we can all glean steadfastness, longing, hope, belief, love, forgiveness, etc., from Sherry Jones’s five-star novel.”
https://dbmoone.com/2018/08/25/josephine-bakers-last-dance-book-review/ (Five-star review)
• Linda’s Book Obsession: “Entertaining, engrossing, and intriguing.”
https://lindasbookobsession.blog/2018/12/04/lindas-book-obsession-reviews-josephine-bakers-last-dance-by-sherry-jones-2/
• Roots and Reads: “Powerfully written, at times brazen and always unapologetically truthful like the woman herself. Sherry Jones has documented both the triumphs and tragedies of Josephine Baker, the bold woman who was ahead of her time in every way.” https://rootsandreads.wordpress.com/2018/11/28/review-josephine-bakers-last-dance/
• Tar Heel Reader: “Josephine was a spitfire, an ingenue, a power player, and a change-maker, and I found her inspiring. Ahead of her time, she remains an icon, and Sherry Jones found the perfect way to depict her spirited nature, her passion for life, and her commitment to human rights. Josephine Baker’s Last Dance is a bold journey of a bold woman.”
https://jennifertarheelreader.com/2018/12/05/josephine-bakers-last-dance-by-sherry-jones-bookreview-tarheelreader-thrjosephinebaker-sherryjonesauthor-gallerybooks-josephinebakerslastdance/
• Reeca’s Pieces: “A good read about an amazing lady.” https://reecaspieces.com/2018/12/04/josephine-bakers-last-dance-by-sherry-jones-historicalfiction-pubday-releaseday/
• Artisan Writing:“Sherry Jones has given us an incredible novel of an incredible woman.”
https://artisanwriting.blogspot.com/
• History Woman Perspective: (Five-star review)
http://www.historywomanperspective.com/2018/12/josephine-bakers-last-dance-by-sherry.html
News Articles:
• The Spokesman Review:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/dec/02/spokane-novelist-sherry-jones-shines-a-light-on-jo/
• Spokane Public Radio:
http://www.spokanepublicradio.org/post/spokane-author-sherry-jones-publishes-novel-about-josephine-baker
• AlterNet:
https://www.alternet.org/2018/12/josephine-bakers-secret-life-as-a-world-war-ii-spy/
• Black Pearls Magazine Online:
http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/2018/11/02/why-i-wrote-about-josephine-baker-by-sherry-jones/