Discussions about James McBride: The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

lisa c said:

“I loved this book! This mother was an Orthodox Jewish woman, daughter of a rabbi who had serious moral failings, who found healing, love, and hope through her relationship with Jesus Christ. She found the acceptance everyone needs in the Black community who loved her as well. I am glad she was able to raise 12 children as that takes an immense amount of courage and faith. Obviously her tenacity and faith kept her going through numerous trials, including the death of her first husband. I can still picture in my mind a short Jewish woman walking with her head held high with 12 Black children in tow, and I have sheer admiration for her. Women like that change the world without ever running for president.”

posted Tuesday, March 18 2008

amy m said:

“I read this a million years ago, and was reminded of it recently, watching Henry Gate's 'African-American Lives' series on PBS.

This is a bright, heartfelt, and finely rendered book, offering, I think, a pretty clear-eyed view of some of the implications of race in America.

Memoir, when it's well-executed, always, always, always brings me to some new understanding of the ways in which we choose our paths, and at their best, they corner me into a better understanding of my own choices. McBride did that for me in this book, and the gentle nudge he gave me -- toward, I guess, the acceptance of ambiguity, the vagueness of identity -- has stuck.

The writing, as I remember it, is bright and sane and curious, and the lessons are the same; McBride is one of those writers I wish were my teacher, or my friend.

”

posted Monday, March 17 2008

ann w said:

“I read McBride's narrative several years ago and recall being strongly affected by the immense obstacles his mother overcame on her journey and what a powerful woman and role model she was for her family. It reinforces the truism that being a mother is the most challenging role in life with the ability to affect so many who one may never know of.”

posted Saturday, January 19 2008

nadiya b said:

“i read this long ago.. it was just too hard for me to believe what the mother went through when she was young..”

posted Sunday, December 2 2007

allie said:

“I noticed the talk about how the mother could've used birth control. Let me remind you that she was raised in a Jewish Orthodox household growing up, which prohibits the use of any birth control. The belief is to have as many children as God will grant you; to prevent a birth would be against God's will. Although she became a Christian, I am sure the decision not to use birth control was based on the beliefs with which she was raised and in part on the Christian beliefs she developed. It helps to understand the two different cultures, of Jewish Orthodox and African American, to really understand the life the author had. Many things that at one time didn't make sense I now know stem from her strict Jewish upbringing, which I was not familiar with while reading this. You simply have to look deeper into this book to really understand how amazing the story is. ”

posted Thursday, November 8 2007 ( | view 2 replies )

savvynlady said:

“I really was taken with this book; I know that in this world, the United States even, it's hard to raise kids; I have two myself and have no help but with my mom and God; When they were with their father, they kept asking me for stuff and I tried my best, but let me go and do that now to him, hmm. Back to the mother here. She lost her family when she married her first husband; I feel that was wrong how they did her. If you remember, she DID go back to her aunts after Mr McBride died trying to get help and they refused to see her or even acknowledge her. I found that real low down. So she met the second husband, and then had another set of kids. OK, me myself, I wouldn't have that many kids. And then, the husband was there, but not at the house because it was a bit crazy; but I don't condemn the lady for being a bad momma. I seen worse. I seen better, but at least, she gave of her best. ”

posted Saturday, November 3 2007

jenjennjennifer said:

“oh man..some people here are forgetting the message of the story. roblarson, just because you didn't like it, doesn't mean you have to bash the storyline. you have to remember that many people went through what this author went through in his childhood.

it's about the REALITY of the situation..not the "what ifs"... that "she could have gotten birth control" yeah so many people "could have" but it just didn't work out that way, did it? the mother dealt the the situation at hand...

i thought it was a very poignant and deep read. although i read it a long time ago, i still think of it as one of my favorite books. the trials and tribulations of this family really makes you see how you can become successful even if you struggle and make mistakes along the way.”

posted Friday, November 2 2007 ( | view 1 reply )

roblarson said:

“I did not enjoy this book as much as some others have. I found the "mother" insufferably stupid and cruel. It is amazing that any of these children turned out well. The author has a writing style that's easy to read, and it's great that he can look back on his life as he does, but, as an outsider, I found myself wanting to wring this woman's neck every few pages! I just could not find any redeeming values for her. Still, an interesting read.”

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

by James McBride

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