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

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Summary: this is a good book
Review: The color of water is an autobiography of the author life. It contains stories about James's life as well as Ruth Mcbride, the author's mom life. I really enjoyed this book because it has a lot of interesting stories told by James and his mom. I would recommend readers to read this book because it is very well written. After reading this book, it had taught me about the life of people in the 30's through the 60's. It also taught me about the struggle many people encounter and how strong a person can be.

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Summary: An interesting look at race!
Review: This is a candid and heartwarming account of how one family deals with the issue of racial differences. The author reveals how his mother, despite her different physical appearance from others in her African-American community and her continual shortage of adequate income, thrives and encourages her children to excel through decent values and using education as the key to self-improvement. Despite the fact that the parallel stories at times become confusing, the story is one of family pride demonstrated by the success of the twelve children in their adult lives. I feel saddened, though, that the author's glimpse into his Jewish background was perfunctory at best. As the son of a Jewish woman, Jewish law considers him fully a Jew despite his having been raised Christian and living a Christian life. There is so much more he could have learned of his Jewish background had he taken the time to explore it.

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Summary: YOU SHOULD READ IT
Review: cOLOR OF wATER is James Mc Bride's book. This book talks about two interesting stories:son's and mother's. Color of water is a very simple book that everyone can understand but what I do not like is when you change chapters you are confusing a little bit because the next one do not continue the same idea. For exemple the first one talks about the son and the second do not continue to talk about it. It changes and starts to talk about the mother. Other than that I think this book is well explained and can help people understand the question about racism. This book show you that the color of your skin is not the most important in someone life.It show also how someone (Ruth) can suffer and had the courage to raise her children. I think and I suggest everyone who has the possibility to read this amazing book.

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Summary: A Wonderful Book
Review: The "Color of Water" is a interesting and wonderful book. I like this book very much and I would recommand this book to my friends. First it is easy to understand and it has a lot of phrases and interesting parts. Also what I liked about this book was the way that this book was written. McBride used two ways on writting this book. It was he and than his mother that made me more interesting in reading it. The most important thing that was shown in this book was the discrimination about black people. Jame's mother Ruth was a very strong woman. I like her strengh and her personality. She had a very difficult life but she new how to overcome the obstacles in her life. She never gave up her dreames and the hope that she had to educate her children

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Summary: A Wonderful Story
Review: This story was totally great for me. James' mother is a hero because she had been in a difficult life when she was young,and she succeeded dealing all problems that she faced. Some people do like this book and others don't. I like it because it is a deep stoty. This story shows you if you really want something you'll get it. No matter what comes in your way you will never stop. And the way it is written won't make you feel bored. If the first half of the book talked about James and the second half talked about his mother, it might make you feel tired of reading it. For me, the way it is written makes you eager for what is going to happen next.

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Summary: Educate Your Brain
Review: The book "The color of Water"is wonderful.It gave me a new view of motherhood.McBride's Mother Ruth was incredible women.I'm a mother too,so I know how difficultit isto raise children.Since I finnished this book, Ruth Skilski is for me like a teacher.I like when she was saying to her black children "educate your brain".For Ruth education was the most important thing,and she knew if her kids have a good education they will always be valued people.

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Summary: color of people
Review: This book is easy to read, although there are lot of story I heard like this. For the most part, it was too much surface and not enough depth. The author should stick with writing newspaper articles to write about the racism, because still racism exist in this country.

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Summary: read it in one sitting
Review: I can't lie, this book truely touched a nerve. The subtitle "A black man's tribute to his white mother" is what made me pick it up in the first place. But it seemed that this tribute didn't kick in until the end of the book. I even became angry at McBride during the first half of the book, he almost seemed to be whining about his childhood, how it drove him to drinking cheap wine and smoking pot to get away from the troubles at home. But I stuck with it, and towards the end of the novel McBride's tribute shines through. One of the aspects that made this book so readable is that I didn't have to listen to one person speaking throughout the entire book. McBride relays his voice and his mothers voice between chapters, a relaxing break and change of view. He realized how much pain and suffering his mother went through so that he and his 11 other siblings could have the best lifes possible, and then his mother tells us firsthand about her ordeals. The two's voices together are really what made this book work. This book drills home the old saying that once you put your mind to it, anything can be done (Mrs. McBride sent all 12 of her children to college and some to grad school.) It's truely an amazing story, and has given me a renewed faith in humanity and reinforced the notion that no one has the right to complain about anything...there are people who have done much more with less than what we have, no matter what it is.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: This is truly a great book composed of two inspirational stories: a black man's recount of his difficult childhood, and his white mother's experience of racism, forbidden love, and raising 12 black children. I found it very uplifting in how people can overcome great odds (poverty, racism and lack of family support) to achieve their goals in life. It made me believe that I can do almost anything, especially since I don't have those problems. James McBride's story gave me more confidence that I can do it all. A worthy book to read by far.

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Summary: Warning: This is A Book You Can't Put Down!
Review: McBride is an amazing writer. His mother, who always agreed with him that she was a "light-skinned Black", finally reveals her true heritage: that her parents were poor Polish Jewish immigrants who had settled in rural Virginia. My own parents are also Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, and McBride does a masterful job as he alternates chapters about his and his mother's life: one chapter about their lives in New York as African Americans, the next about her being raised as the daughter of a Rabbi in rural Virginia. He conveys so well the "Yiddishkeit", the Jewish upbringing, of his mother: the observance of the religion and the culture, her isolation, her horrible treatment at the hands of her father, and how she was shunned by the other Jews, who were wealthier, as well as by most of the non-Jews. The only warmth she found from any community was from the Blacks who frequented her father's store (he ended up being a merchant, as that brought in more money than being a Rabbi.). It is no wonder, then, that when she reached adulthood she ended up marrying two African American men, raising a dozen children in a Black community in New York, and demanding that they attend Church as well as get a college education. In spite of her wounding, she lifts herself out of an oppressive background not only to gain happiness for herself, but to transmit important values to her children. What is conveyed throughout is McBride's tremendous love and admiration for his mother. This book is a triumph.