Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott

K-Gr 3—Romito retells the life story of Georgia Gilmore, a woman whose pies and delicious homemade cooking helped sustain the Montgomery bus boycott. Nicknamed "the Club from Nowhere," Gilmore along with a team of women risked their jobs to build a network wherein people from the community could financially aid the boycott through the purchase of her pies (Gilmore donated her profits to the Montgomery Improvement Association). The book ends with the Supreme Court decision that segregation on buses is unconstitutional and Gilmore is shown continuing to bake—as the fight for civil rights would wage on. The text emphasizes for young readers how important Gilmore's contributions were to the civil rights movement, including her work with Martin Luther King Jr. and her testimony in court on discrimination on buses. Bold and richly colored illustrations give life to Gilmore and her iconic pies. The detailed back matter, which includes Gilmore's recipe for homemade pound cake, makes this picture book a well-rounded nonfiction read.