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

Used Price: $0.01
Collectible Price: $14.00
Third Party New Price: $2.50

Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 974.71004960730092
EAN: 9781573225786
ISBN: 1573225789
Label: Riverhead Trade
Manufacturer: Riverhead Trade
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: February 01, 1997
Publisher: Riverhead Trade
Sales Rank: 71270
Studio: Riverhead Trade

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
This is a book that will 'make you proud to be a member of the human race,' says Mirabella, and countless readers have already discovered its power. Written in remembrance of his Polish-born, Southern-raised Jewish mother-who married a black man and raised twelve children, all of whom completed college-The Color of Water is a classic of the memoir genre, a testament to love, and a truly American story.

Amazon.com Review:
Order this book ... and please don't be put off by its pallid subtitle, A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, which doesn't begin to do justice to the utterly unique and moving story contained within. The Color of Water tells the remarkable story of Ruth McBride Jordan, the two good men she married, and the 12 good children she raised. Jordan, born Rachel Shilsky, a Polish Jew, immigrated to America soon after birth; as an adult she moved to New York City, leaving her family and faith behind in Virginia. Jordan met and married a black man, making her isolation even more profound. The book is a success story, a testament to one woman's true heart, solid values, and indomitable will. Ruth Jordan battled not only racism but also poverty to raise her children and, despite being sorely tested, never wavered. In telling her story--along with her son's--The Color of Water addresses racial identity with compassion, insight, and realism. It is, in a word, inspiring, and you will finish it with unalloyed admiration for a flawed but remarkable individual. And, perhaps, a little more faith in us all.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- Students #1 choice!
Two Literacy Students at the Aguilar Language Learning Center (of the New York Public Library) recently read this book in their tutoring group and wrote these reviews:

MARIA LOPEZ
This book made me laugh, made me feel sad, and broke my heart. I found the book fascinating. It was a great read. One of my favorite passages was the description of Ruth riding her bicycle. One part that made me laugh and laugh was when Ruth and Mary got boyfriends. I also love when Ruth disappeared for a few days and went to Brooklyn to visit her old friends.

I loved the chapter about Chicken Man. James thought he was smarter than people thought. That is true. He is very smart! Also, I was very sad to read about how James acted as a teenager. I think that he must have felt very lonely.

I really enjoyed reading The Color of Water. I have never read a book like it before. I learned a lot about ... Read More

Rating:

- Allen Hoage's Review
Take a minute for yourself and your family and please read The Color of Water. What you can learn from this book expert in a few minutes is that the McBride family is no different from my big family. We came from the South to the North for a good life and to get a good education. A black man married out of his race and struggled. They had to keep the marriage quiet because in the South, if a black man was walking down the street, and a white woman was walking down the same street, the black man would have to turn his head away. I have no problem passing this book to a family member or a friend. I relate to this book because my kids married our of their race. If they are happy then I'm happy too. It is your right to marry whomever you want. Don't listen to people telling you that it can't work out. Listen to what God is saying and it will work. Have you ever watched little boys and girls play in the park? Sit down and ... Read More

Rating:

- Unsentimental and touching
This is a remarkably unsentimental portrayal of a black man's white, Jewish mother who finds a life with those of another race more sustaining than staying with her own.

Rating:

- A touching tribute to an incredible woman and family
This book had been on my shelf for a long time. Having just finished it, I can only wish that I would have read it much, much sooner.

This book alternates chapters between the author's voice (the son, James McBride) and the mother's voice. He uses italics for those chapters in his mother's words and, while it seems this would be clear enough, I still got very confused in the first half of the book. I would begin a chapter knowing it was in the mother's voice because of the italics but, once I was heavily into the chapter, I would get confused about the family history because both her chapters and his chapters are written in first person. This is the only reason I gave this book 4 stars vs. 5, because it was otherwise an outstanding and truly touching read.

This is the story of a white Jewish woman who marries a black man and raises 12 children (a combination of his children and her second ... Read More

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