Lynn: Rosa Park’s name is familiar to most of our students but there were so many more people who sacrificed and worked to make the Montgomery Bus Boycott a success. Mara Rockliff brings us the sweet story of one important woman in the her new picture book, Sweet Justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott (Random Studio, 2022).

Georgia Gilmore was a cook in a Montgomery restaurant in 1955 and when a bus driver took her dime and then drove away without her, she started her own personal boycott. Georgia was a big woman and after a hot day cooking her feet ached, but Georgia walked the long way home. In December, Georgia was joined by so many others as the Montgomery Bus Boycott began. But Georgia did so much more than walk. After a long day cooking her famous fried chicken and sweet potato pie, Georgia cooked in her own kitchen, selling her delicious food to raise money to support the boycott. When Dr. Martin Luther King was arrested, Georgia testified at his trial and then lost her job because of it. King gave her money to start her own restaurant and Georgia’s place became the gathering spot for planning and organizing as well as for enjoying her chocolate cakes and stuffed green peppers.

I loved this skillfully written story about a truly inspirational woman who remained important in Civil Rights movement after the boycott and who cooked wonderful meals right up to the day she died. Rockliff provides excellent back matter with additional information about Georgia, a note about her sources and an extensive list of sources.

R. Gregory Christie’s warm-toned illustrations are so moving and vibrant, bringing Georgia and her aching feet and generous heart to life. The only thing missing for me was a taste of that sweet potato pie!