The Many Faces of Josephine Baker: Dancer, Singer, Activist, Spy

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Chicago Review Press, Feb 1, 2015 - Juvenile Nonfiction - 208 pages

A complete biographical look at the complex life of a world-famous entertainer

With determination and audacity, Josephine Baker turned her comic and musical abilities into becoming a worldwide icon of the Jazz Age. The Many Faces of Josephine Baker: Dancer, Singer, Activist, Spy provides the first in-depth portrait of this remarkable woman for young adults. Author Peggy Caravantes follows Baker's life from her childhood in the depths of poverty to her comedic rise in vaudeville and fame in Europe. This lively biography covers her outspoken participation in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, espionage work for the French Resistance during World War II, and adoption of 12 children—her “rainbow tribe.” Also included are informative sidebars on relevant topics such as the 1917 East St. Louis riot, Pullman railway porters, the Charleston, and more. The lush photographs, appendix updating readers on the lives of the rainbow tribe, source notes, and bibliography make this is a must-have resource for any student, Baker fan, or history buff.

 

Contents

Her Own Journey
1
Show Business Debut
15
Joséphine Charms Paris
29
La Folie du Jour
41
Two Loves
59
Storms of Life
73
Joséphines Challenges
89
Let My People Go
103
Losing Les Milandes
145
The Curtain Falls
159
The Rainbow Tribe
171
Notes
175
Bibliography
183
Index
187
Back Flip
197
Back Cover
198

In My Village
117
Joséphine and Jo Split
131

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About the author (2015)

Peggy Caravantes is a former English and history teacher, middle school principal, and deputy school superintendent. She is the author of 16 books for middle grades and young adult readers, including American Hero: The Audie Murphy Story and Petticoat Spies: Six Women Spies of the Civil War. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.

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