In 1926, Josephine Baker was approached by French journalist Marcel Sauvage about writing a memoir. Then 20 years old, the ...

Baker, whose real name was Freda Josephine McDonald, began performing at a young age. As a teenager, she moved to New York City and performed at the Plantation Club during the Harlem Renaissance.

She escaped the racism of her native America to find global fame in France. Her 1949 memoir, published for the first time in English, captures Baker’s joyful voice ...