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Summary: only one adjective to describe this book: gripping
Review: i read this book almost a year ago and iwas emotionally moved and captivated by the style of james mcbride.his mother's trials and tribulations are outstandingly categorised.her emhence willpower to brake away from her jewish lifestyle is heroiclly touching to individuals looking to rise above the odds.i think this book is remarkable and captivating and is and will be one of the greatest books i've ever read
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Summary: Boring
Review: Anyone can write a book like this. It was not at all interesting or movin
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Summary: More than race
Review: I am neither Jewish or black but found plenty to appreciate in this book. I'll leave it to past reviewers to provide details about the story. I am a 50 year old lesbian who could relate to family rejection faced by Ruth and the need to create for herself a family that would surround her with love and meaning. I plan to recommend this book to my friends.
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Summary: This book changed my views on memoirs; I weeped openly.
Review: I am a seventeen year old Jewish girl who truely felt honored to be of the same species of someone like Ruth McBride Jordan. God bless her, her children and her grandchildren. I don't think I'll be the same after reading this book. It changed my life which might be a bit dramatic but it's true. Thank you James and Ruth.
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Summary: Excellent autobiographical account from Mr.james McBride
Review: I read this last year and found the book stimulating. kudos to Mcbride for giving his audience the chance to enter his life.
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Summary: Wonderful, Meaningful Gem
Review: Mr. McBride has written an incredible, moving story about hismother and his life. He is a wonderful writer who knows how to usewords. I couldn't put this book down.His mother lived through so much and gave so much so that her children would grow up as strong, caring individuals. She grew up with an abusive father and rigid mores; yet found herself with the love and support of two strong men in her life - her husbands. I, myself, am a reform Jew and see nothing anti-semitic about the book. Mr. McBride concludes his book with thoughts of how he has grown to appreciate his "Jewish upbringing" - the Jewish values his mother instilled in him and his siblings. They have grown up to be open-minded individuals who value education and learning and have a sense of being. Those are Jewish values. His mother did what she thought was best for her own life and her family's. She suffered, but she persevered. Maybe, Judaism wasn't the answer in her situation, but she didn't fall into an abyss for changing her religion. She was open-minded enough to change and find what she could believe in without being a hypocrite. The love Mr. McBride's family shares is awesome. His mother kept the family together at all costs. There was no mention of foster care, welfare or adoption. Just reading the list of where each child (now an adult) is today is inspiring. If I ever meet any members of Mr. McBride's family, I will feel very honored indeed. In this turbulent century, with its rampant racism, anti-semitism, and hatred, his family has risen above all that and shown that they know who they are and where they are going.
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Summary: A reader who grew up ins Suffolk, VA but left 42 years ago
Review: Although I enjoyed this book, I was uncomfortable to learn that someone else from Suffolk, Ms. McBride, held such a negative opinion of it. The Suffolk I remember was a loving, warm community. These differences in our experiences probably stemmed from our different circumstances? I was a white Anglo Saxon. Thus, this book helps me see my own life from a perspective that I did not see, or was not aware of, when I was growing up in Suffolk. Still I can't help thinking that some of Ms. McBride's impressions were molded by the low esteem in which her father appears to have been held, even among Jewish people.
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Summary: Moving ... and inspiring.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The format (bouncing back and forth between the author's story and his mother's) was awkward at first but I began to enjoy the contrast about half way through. Mr. McBride writes very well. He is a good story-teller. I appreciated the way he pointed out examples of racism in his and his mother's life without any bitterness. What an incredable woman his mother is. His mother deserves a "tribute". I loved the book.
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Summary: Great Representation of a Multicultural Existence
Review: This book was a true Gem among Jewels. It opened up my eyes to the struggles that "white" mothers have to deal with when rearing children of color. But this woman's struggle goes far deeper. She has had to deal with issues that her children will probably never understand or comprehend,Thank God, yet her experiences have made a survivor out of Ms. Ruth. I would kill just to sit for five minutes and see her in action. Do not pass up the valued opportunity to experience this story.
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Summary: Entertaining, affective, and even-handed
Review: James McBride's tribute to his mother is uplifting, moving, and ultimately life-affirming. Through the examination of both his life and his mother's, he comes to the inevitable conclusion that, above all, people of all races and faiths are more alike than different. The book is simply written, but engaging, and filled with life lessons. Mr. McBride's ability to look back at his upbringing in an objective manner is refreshing. No whining or crying over spilled milk. He examines the facts about himself and, by the end of the book, it appears that he, too, has learned as much about himself as has the reader. A wonderful and important piece of work.
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