The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

I’m not a huge reader, normally it would take me over a month to finish any book. My usual feeling of trekking through the pages of a book was not, yes I said not, found in The Color of Water by James Mcbride. This book is universally relatable on so many different levels. Within most of the chapters there was something that emotionally impacted me on a certain level. This book is a roller coaster, it has it’s ups and it has it’s downs . This is why I decided to give my book 4 stars.James Mcbride is one of twelve mixed race siblings, with a white, single, jewish mom, during the 1940’s. During that time, there was a lot of racial discrimination, along with the holocaust occurring. Throughout his memoir James not only shares his life story, but Ruth's (his mom) as well. This makes for an even more impactful story because we are seeing how Ruth grew up, and learning about the different events that has happened in her life. Knowing her background while reading the story, allows us to understand the way she has raised her children and how she handles different situations with life and/or her kids.I’m not a mom, but I know raising 12 kids is an arduous effort. Ruth wasn’t able to keep everyone in check all the time, no matter how hard she tried. When James step-father passed away, James started to head down a bad path. His grades slipped like a man on ice, along with his behavior. He started getting involved with drugs and petty theft. When Ruth learned that James grades were slipping, and that he also was skipping school she sent him to his sister’s house down in Louisville, Kentucky. James was a mad as a bull. James ended up spending 3 consecutive summers down there. While he was down there he met a man named Chicken Man. Chicken Man played a very influential part in James life, they first met on the “corner” where a lot of the druggies or drunks could be found. While James and Chicken Man were standing on the corner, he explained to James that “everybody on this corner is smart, you ain’t no smarter than anybody here”(Mcbride 150). The Chicken Man shakes James belief that his knowledge makes him smarter than someone else. The Chicken Man shows James that all people are smart, it’s just what they do with their knowledge individualizes them.This part of the book impacted me the me the most because i’ve started to head down bad paths in life simply because I didn’t know how to deal with the pain or emotion. During these times, my two coaches, along with my parents, are the ones that helped get me back on track. They showed me what could happen if I continued to head down the path I was on. Everyone should have a role model in their life, for James that was chicken man or his mom, and for me; my parents, along with my coaches.This book changed my view on life and how no matter how hard times get you still need to keep going. Life is a mountain that we must continue to climb, no matter how many times we slip.It covered racial discrimination, how you can go from a bad situation and turn things around, how far religion can take you, and what you can accomplish with perseverance. James mom came from a dad who had molested her, but she didn’t let that hold her back. She went on to be married 2 times, and have 12 mixed race kids during the 1940s. She kept most of the kids in check ¾ of the time, and was able to provide for them all. Ruth, “wipes her memory instantly and with purpose” (271).She allows the bad to roll right off because she knows she has responsibilities to her kids. She is formidable, she is knowledgeable, she is unexpendable. The way Ruth raised her kids, and dealt with her own life is impeccable.Thank you James Mcbride for giving me a new perspective on how I few things, along with having a new genre of books to read.

An inspiring story about a woman whose strong faith sustains her through the loss of her 1st husband and her second marriage as well as raising twelve children. Sending all twelve through college into careers as doctors, teachers, and writers.

Bought this for my daughter for her 10th grade English class. She was complaining about how "boring" this book is. Which is weird because she LOVES to read. Well, I didn't believe her and tried to read the book myself. Nope! It took me one week to read 50 pages because I was falling asleep everything I picked the book up. It's well written and all. Just slow and a special interest book for sure.

I love reading from this Author,never read anything by him!!!’

I love so many things about this book. Thank you for sharing your story. Your mother was an exceptional human being.

In his book, The Color of Water, James McBride tells the story of his mother's life and the story of his own search for identity. It is the remarkably moving story of a young woman who is compelled to leave her home, her family, and her Orthodox Jewish faith and heritage behind her. Rachel Shilsky moves from Virginia to Harlem and marries Dennis McBride, a Christian black man. When her family learns what she has done, the entire family (collateral relatives included) declare Rachel dead and sit shiva. At that point, Rachel realizes that all ties to her past are severed. She becomes a Christian, changes her name to Ruth, and wholeheartedly throws herself into her new life without a backward glance. She founds the New Brown Christian Church in the Red Hook projects in Harlem, and raises twelve outstanding and highly accomplished children.Ruth's path in life is filled with crises, obstacles and painful situations. But Ruth's journey is one that is driven by love, compassion and determination. Fortunately, Ruth is equipped with a strong will and an amazing insight. When one son asks her the color of God's skin, her response is "God is the color of water". Like everyone else in this world, Ruth makes mistakes and has to deal with personality flaws. This woman does so with grace.James McBride shares his personal struggles as well. Throughout the majority of the book, young James grapples with racial identity issues, anger and anxiety. When James loses his stepfather in his early teens, his grief is so profound that he becomes unmoored for a few years. I am mixed race and was raised in a household of conflicting ideologies. I have to say that James McBride puts my feelings about my mixed upbringing into words -- and he gets it right.I alternately cried and laughed as I worked my way through the final five chapters of the book, its epilogue and afterword (I even cried and laughed through McBride's acknowledgements). I identified with virtually every sentence. This book has my highest recommendations.

The authors style brought you into his mothers soul. A moving book filed with so much emotion. Makes you contemplate of the natural and the man made meanness of life

This book was good!! it kept you interested between going through the different point of views of ruth and james. There were so many themes to keep up with!!

when I received the boook I forgot that this was a used, it was like brand new ! will be back for review afte ri read just wanted to highlight the awesome condition I got it!

This book has been an 'eye-opener' into a life and life style, never seen before! I am truly grateful to have been a part of that journey!

Very interesting and thought provoking book. I just kept comparing my life to this family’s life and confirming how truly fortunate I have been. I was born in Australia in 1956 to white parents who had 6 children. All of us children have also had successful lives.

Sorry for once I did not enjoy my Amazon purchase. The story jumped around all over the place and I had to keep on going back to see who was who. Maybe because I only had little bits of time to read this last couple of weeks due to being extremely busy. I will give it another go when things have settled down as it is a story I wanted to read very much.

It was an interesting insight into a world I have never known - a white Jewish woman falling in love and marrying two Christian black men, her life through the racially tough period in the US - bringing up 12 talented and educated black children without giving any of her children an I sight into her own and her family's history. James' long efforts to get his mother to open up to him about her past in order for him to know himself was really fascinating.