Fearless and Free

A Memoir

By: Josephine Baker, Ijeoma Oluo - foreword

Narrated by: Anam Zafar, Sophie R. Lewis

“A gorgeous, captivating gem of a memoir…Josephine Baker’s as enthralling on the page as she was on the stage.”—Abbott Kahler, New York Times bestselling author of Eden Undone and Sin in the Second City

Published in the US for the first time, Fearless and Free is the memoir of the fabulous, rule-breaking, one-of-a-kind Josephine Baker, the iconic dancer, singer, spy, and Civil Rights activist.

After stealing the spotlight as a teenaged Broadway performer during the height of the Harlem Renaissance, Josephine then took Paris by storm, dazzling audiences across the Roaring Twenties. In her famous banana skirt, she enraptured royalty and countless fans—Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso among them. She strolled the streets of Paris with her pet cheetah wearing a diamond collar. With her signature flapper bob and enthralling dance moves, she was one of the most recognizable women in the world.

When World War II broke out, Josephine became a decorated spy for the French Résistance. Her celebrity worked as her cover, as she hid spies in her entourage and secret messages in her costumes as she traveled. She later joined the Civil Rights movement in the US, boycotting segregated concert venues, and speaking at the March on Washington alongside Martin Luther King Jr.

First published in France in 1949, her memoir will now finally be published in English. At last we can hear Josephine in her own voice: charming, passionate, and brave. Her words are thrilling and intimate, like she’s talking with her friends over after-show drinks in her dressing room. Through her own telling, we come to know a woman who danced to the top of the world and left her unforgettable mark on it.

©2025 Originally published in French by Éditions Corrêa in France as Les Mémoires De Joséphine Baker by Marcel Sauvage, in 1949. Reissued in French by Éditions Phébus, in 2022. First English language edition simultaneously published with Vintage UK, a division of Penguin Random House Group, in 2025 Copyright © 2022 by Éditions Phébus / Libella, Paris Translation copyright © 2025 by Anam Zafar and Sophie Lewis Foreword copyright © 2025 by Ijeoma Oluo (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“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 Mississippi, 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