The Quilts of Gee's Bend

April 17, 2017
Rubin (Hot Pink: The Life and Fashions of Elsa Schiaparelli) tells the story of a folk art form passed down through generations in a small corner of the Deep South. Descended from the enslaved and, later, tenant farmers, the women quilters of Gee’s Bend, Ala., create unique variations of traditional patterns. Their vibrant handiwork sits in stark contrast to archival photographs of the quilters’ hardscrabble surroundings. The women’s expressions are proud, their settings meager—a 1937 photograph shows a room wallpapered in newsprint to keep out drafts. Rubin traces the quilters’ history alongside their struggle for civil rights and a steadily improving quality of life. When the women’s art is “discovered” by outsiders and becomes sought after, the results weren’t always welcome. Numerous quotations allow the women to tell their story: “A lot of people make quilts for your bed,” says Mensie Lee Pettway. “But a quilt is more. It represents safekeeping, it represents beauty, and you could say it represents family history.” An epilogue, source notes, bibliography, index, and brief quilting how-to wrap up a celebration of fellowship and ingenuity. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from March 15, 2017
How homemade quilts created in rural Alabama became modern art. Descended from enslaved African-Americans on the Pettway Plantation, the women of Gee's Bend, Alabama, have been making quilts for generations. Taught by grandmothers, mothers, and aunts, these women have made quilts from cotton and corduroy and even old men's trousers, using bold colors and a variety of patterns. For the poor tenant farmers of Gee's Bend, the quilts were functional, -something to cover up with- to keep warm in cold cabins and hung out on fences and clotheslines once a year to -air out.- Rubin effectively demonstrates the important role of collectors Bill and Matt Arnett in -discovering- the quilts and seeing them as visual art, -some of the best art in the country.- Soon, thanks to their efforts, the quilts were being shown in museums all over the United States and included in the collection of the Modern Museum of Art in New York City. Full-color photographs beautifully present the quilts, while numerous other color and black-and-white photographs portray the history of Gee's Bend and its now-famous quilters. A thread of history runs through the narrative, too, weaving in slavery, the New Deal, and the civil rights movement. A section on -Making a Quilt Square- makes quilting accessible to young artists. A handsome volume to enchant a new generation of readers and artists. (source notes, bibliography, acknowledgments, image credits) (Nonfiction. 8-14)

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Starred review from April 1, 2017
Gr 6 Up-A quilt -represents safekeeping, it represents beauty, and you could say it represents family history.- In this handsomely designed volume, Rubin shares the history of the Gee's Bend families, who, for more than 100 years, have been designing and creating bold and brilliant quilts. From 1845, when plantation owner Mark Pettway and his household settled in Alabama, to the present, African American women in this rural village have been piecing together scraps of fabric salvaged from old clothes, flour sacks, or corduroy pillow covers, while their daughters, nieces, and granddaughters have watched and learned. Through the years, as they endured and eventually rose above abject poverty, back-breaking work, and inequality, the women continually found community in picking up their needles to help one another sew quilts to keep their families warm. As they witnessed tumultuous moments in history, from the Civil War and the Great Depression to the civil rights movement, the quilters were eventually recognized for their artistry by the outside world. Rubin captures the voices of the inhabitants of Gee's Bend, weaving quotes and memories of current residents throughout the engaging narrative. Vibrant photos of the most striking quilts and archival images complement the text. In the spirit of passing on the tradition, simple instructions for making a quilt square appear at the end of the book. VERDICT Combining history, memoir, and quilting, this fascinating portrait of an indomitable community will appeal to readers, artists, and crafters of all ages.-Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2017
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)