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The Color of Water
A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
Book - 2006 | 1st Riverhead trade pbk.10th anniversary ed.
An African American man describes life as the son of a white mother and Black father, reflecting on his mother's contributions to his life and his confusion over his own identity.
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Publisher:
New York : Riverhead Books, c2006.
Edition:
1st Riverhead trade pbk.10th anniversary ed.
ISBN:
9781594481925
Branch Call Number:
921 MCBRI-M
Characteristics:
xix, 328 p. : ill. ; 21 cm.
Opinion
From the critics
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Quotes
Add a QuoteNow, as a grown man, I feel privileged to have come from two worlds. My view of the world is not merely that of a black man but that of a black man with something of a Jewish soul. I don't consider myself Jewish, but when I look at Holocaust photographs of Jewish women whose children have been wrenched from them by Nazi soldiers, the women look like my own mother and I think to myself, There but for the grace of God goes my own mother-and by extension, myself.
SnoIsleLib_BrianH
Jun 22, 2017
“The plain truth is that you’d have an easier time standing in the middle of the Mississippi River and requesting that it flow backward than to expect people of different races and backgrounds to stop loving each other, stop marrying each other, stop starting families, stop enjoying the dreams that love inspires. Love is unstoppable. It is our greatest weapon, a natural force, created by God.
― James McBride, The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
SnoIsleLib_BrianH
Jun 22, 2017
“I asked her if I was black or white. She replied "You are a human being. Educate yourself or you'll be a nobody!”
― James McBride, The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
Summary
Add a SummarySubtitled – A Black Man’s Tribute to his White Mother, McBride takes us to the public housing projects of New York City where he and 11 brothers and sisters live. They are all black. James knows there is something different about his mother. When asked, she would declare – “I’m light-skinned,” and change the subject. As years went by, James learned about his mother, her Jewish background and the mysteries of her life that unfolded, bit by bit. In short, Ruth McBride eventually told him her story of being a rabbi’s daughter, born in Poland and raised in the South, who fled to Harlem, married a black man, founded a Baptist church, and put the twelve children through college.
This book is also on the list of 75 best books in the last 75 years. An engrossing story and on the best-seller list back in the mid- to late-90s. It is truly a classic.
Brown_Dog_365
Jun 27, 2012
This book is about a man who is writing about his mother's life. The mother was a Jewish woman, who in the 1950s married an African American man. She was "thrown" out of her family for what she had done, and her and her children were made fun of by other people. She never really talked about race and her life story with her children, and so they lived a very closed life style. They didn't ever think about pressuring their mother for the information that they desperately wanted to know about. They grew up in poverty, but they always managed to make it by. And to top that off, everyone was sent to college and became very successful people. Finally James McBride one of the twelve children finds out about their mother's life, and then writes a book about it. The story is a wonderful one, and is sure to bring tears of joy and sadness to your eyes.
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Comment
Add a CommentMcBride’s revealing memoir also uncovers the remarkable story of his mother, Ruth. Through weaving the story of his childhood with that of his mother’s narrative, McBride offers an inspiring and uplifting tribute to his family as well as to the human spirit which can transcend the barriers of race, class, and generation.
A loving and well written book, part biography and part memoir as the chapters alternate between the author's life growing up in Brooklyn's Red Hook housing project and the recounting of his mother's life in Suffolk, Virginia as the victimized daughter of a Jewish rabbi.
James McBride -- where have you been? Sorry I never read this book earlier. It is truly a classic.
An amazing book. Not only is it very well written, but the true story is fascinating: a Jewish white mother who will not admit she is white. Because of the so-called dysfunctional situation being infused with so much love, the children turned out just great, by all accounts. I would highly recommend this book.
A true story about a selfless and gutsy woman who sees everyone through the same lens regardless of race or religion. Her life was not an easy one.
An interesting and eye-opening read. My only issue with the book is that I found that it was hit and miss in terms of keeping my interest: the mother's story was much more interesting than that of the author's.
An inspiring, unforgettable unfolding of two lives: the author's mother's -- a woman of remarkable strength who flees the South and her Orthodox Jewish family and co-founds a Baptist church in Harlem with her black husband, and McBride's -- one of her twelve children. An inviting read, full of strength and spirit, pain, and humour.
This book is not only about a piece of Tobias Wolff's childhood, but it also connects to our own childhood. The book emphasizes our struggle to find our own identity and our inability to make a decision.
When I saw this book was a biography I thought it would be boring and just with non personal information, but then I read it. This book was amazing it was so personal and the writing style allowed you to really see and feel what the author was writing. Everyone should read this book
This extraordinary book, about a remarkable family and an indomitable mother, is written with grace, humor and above all love. The black author has written a tribute to his white Jewish mother, who married two fine black men and raised 12 black children--all of whom graduated from college and became doctors, teachers and, in the case of the author, a writer and musician. Race is an important part of the book, but it rises above racial matters to a level of universal humanity. I was touched by almost every chapter. The book has become a classic--deservedly so.