The Quilts of Gee's BendJun 13, 2017 by Susan Goldman Rubin Hardcover (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

  


Transporting readers to rural Gee’s Bend, Alabama, this handsome volume celebrates a deep-rooted, local needlework tradition by looking at individual quilt makers and their work, while tracing the history of this small, African American community. The ancestors of current residents were brought to the area in 1845 to work as slaves. Later, they became tenant farmers with little hope of owning their own land. Rubin’s account of their history continues with changes brought about by the New Deal, inspiration and determination that arose during the civil rights era, the formation of a sewing cooperative during the 1960s, and the quilts’ recognition by the national arts community after a 2002 museum exhibition. Writing with awareness of broad social forces as they affected the residents of Gee’s Bend, Rubin offers a concise account of local history while seamlessly weaving quilters’ reminiscences of family, community, poverty, and memorable events into an informative narrative. The spacious pages of this well-designed book create a fitting showcase for photos of the vivid, unusual Gee’s Bend quilts. Young readers inspired to try their hand at quilt making will find, in the back matter, simple directions for creating a hand-sewn quilt square. A colorful introduction to a uniquely American subject.