Sincetheearlynineteenthcentury,thewomenofGee'sBendinsouthernAlabamahavecreatedstunning,vibrantquilts.Intheonlyphoto-essaybookaboutthequiltsofGee'sBendforchildren,award-winningauthorSusanGoldmanRubinexploresthehistoryandcultureofthisfascinatinggroupofwomenandtheiruniquequiltingtraditions.RubinusesmeticulousresearchtoofferanexclusivelookatanimportantfacetofAfricanAmericanartandculture.IntheruralcommunityofGee'sBend,AfricanAmericanwomenhavebeenmakingquiltsforgenerations.Theyusescrapsofoldoveralls,aprons,andbleachedcornmealsacks—anythingtheycanfind.Theirtraditionshavebeenpasseddownthroughthedecades.Muchtothewomen'ssurprise,aselectionofthequiltswasfeaturedinanexhibitionattheMuseumofFineArts,Houston,in2002.TheexhibitionthentraveledtotheWhitneyMuseuminNewYorkCity.“Eye-poppinglygorgeous,”wroteacriticfortheNewYorkTimesabouttheexhibition.Hecontinued,“SomeofthemostmiraculousworksofmodernartAmericahasproduced.”TheMetropolitanMuseumofArtwillexhibititsnewlyacquiredcollectionofGee'sBendquiltsin2017.Rubinisknownforproducingwell-researched,highlypraised,andsophisticatedbiographiesofartistsandotherimportantfigures.Throughsimilarresearch,TheQuiltsofGee'sBendsharesspecificsaboutthisrarecommunityanditsrichtraditions,allowingchildrentopausetoconsiderhistorythroughtheeyesofthepeoplewholiveditandthroughalegacythatispassedontothenextgeneration.Thisbookshouldbeofgreatinteresttoclassrooms,libraries,andthoseinterestedinAfricanAmericanartintheUnitedStates,inadditiontoquilting,lifeinearlyemancipatedcoloniesintheSouth,andGee'sBendsimportanceintheCivilRight'smovement.Thequiltsandtheincrediblestoriesbehindthemarepowerfulmotivatorsforanyonewhowishestoaccomplishanything.Amap,d