Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Dee Romito
Published: November 2018
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Note: This is a review of an advance reader copy. The book releases on November 6th, 2018
When I think about the Montgomery Bus Boycott, I naturally think of Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and more recently, I now also think of Claudette Colvin who had also refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. I know about her because of Phillip Hoose’s book, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice.
I appreciate the power of nonfiction text to teach us, and Dee Romito’s latest book is no exception. Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott was an extraordinary read because it taught me about “a hidden figure of history” whom I will now never ever forget! It thrills me to read a book like this that highlights the work and legacy of an unsung hero of the civil rights movement like Georgia Gilmore. Her contribution was remarkable because she used something she was passionate about to make a real difference. An admirable, humble act of generosity was just the right ingredient to affect change.
Hearing the news of the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger stirred up a call to action in Georgia. And having been treated poorly herself by the bus drivers, she knew she had to do her part to fight for justice. She helped the cause by doing something that she was pretty good at…cooking. With her group, The Club from Nowhere, the team cooked and sold food, putting them in the position to donate money, to purchase gasoline, and eventually station wagons as well that would be used in the carpool system. What an incredible accomplishment! Georgia’s story inspires me so much. It makes me believe that I can use whatever gifts and talents I have been given to make a real difference.
Pies from Nowhere is illustrated by Laura Freeman who uses such rich colors that beautifully complements the text. The book ends with an author’s note that gives the reader more information about the Montgomery Bus Boycott, discusses the Supreme Court ruling in 1956 on the matter, and more about Georgia and The Club from Nowhere. There is also a recipe at the very end for Georgia Gilmore’s homemade pound cake that I was especially excited to see.
Thank you, Dee Romito, for sharing Georgia’s story with the world. I will certainly be sharing this book with my students. My 4th-grade social studies teacher is already making plans to borrow this book from our library right away so she can read it to her students. It hasn’t even hit the shelves yet and it is already on hold!
Shout-Outs
Dee Romito | https://www.deeromito.com/
Laura Freeman | https://www.lfreemanart.com/
Little Bee Books
An Imprint of Bonnier Publishing USA
https://littlebeebooks.com/
CeCeLibrarian’s Book Blog 
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