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Summary: A Gem!
Review: I avoided this book a long time because everyone was raving about it. When at last it was in my hands, I was drawn in and flew through it - it is captivating! It does jump around a bit and at times I craved more detail on family members, on family moments. I adored the alternating chapters: one by Mommy, one by son. The ending was simple beauty and I cried. I don't remember the last time I did that at the end of a book. It's a must!
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Summary: After reading this book, I have come to admire this woman.
Review: James McBride, was able to capture his mother in such a way, that we come away with an enormous amount of respect and admiration for this woman. Not only for what she has been through , but also because of what she has been able to accomplish despite the hardships. Regardless of our backgrounds, we can all find a connection with this one, remarkable woman. Mr. McBride has truly paid homage to his mother.
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Summary: Why give birth to 12 children instead of using a condom?
Review: This book convinced me that the author is a really loving and interesting human being, who had to deal with a lot in his lifetime and learned from it. Like one of the readers below, however, I was very puzzled as to why so many reviewers gloss over the fact that his mother simply had too many children to care for properly. I think that the author is aware that there may have been something "not quite right" about his mother, but many of the reviewers seem to have missed this salient point. It's an interesting read, but the lack of perspective on the mother makes it a little bit frustrating at times. I certainly don't think the book should be seen as a breakthrough in Jewish/black relations.
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Summary: Wish I could have given it NO stars!
Review: This book is blatantly antisemitic. The mother obviously has a deep hatred of Judiasm and has done all she can to make it look horrible. Meanwhile the African-Americans are all very kind and decent, and there is an awful lot of Christian overtones, which constrast *SHARPLY* with the description of Judiasm. But I can tell you that *VERY FEW* Jews have any interest in converting to Christianity.
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Summary: An Honest and Compelling Story
Review: This book shows what love is really about. It grabbed me from the first chapter and I was finished reading it by the following day. James McBride has a wonderful way of writing from the heart. His mother should be an inspiration to all. She never gave up. Anyone who complains that she shouldn't have had so many children while so poor and forcing them to deal with racism, just doesn't get it. The point is that she trusted God and he lifted her up and she prevailed and so did her children. THAT my friends, is REAL love and in the end, that's all that matters.
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Summary: Hats off to James and his mother
Review: Yes, I feel renewed having read such a remarkable book. "The Color of Water".......what a title. I believe it was the unique title that caugh my eyes when I was deciding on which book to read for school. I really enjoyed the idea of interchanging chapters with words from him and his mother. It really captured my curiosity to read on. This book gives one a fair idea of Ruth McBride Jordan's plight as a white woman fighting to survive with her twelve children despite the prevalent issue of race and her poverty. The Color of Water focused mainly on James and his mother with very little mention of how the other ten children were psychologically affected. However, generally speaking I would recommend this book to be read by all.
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Summary: I'm not a book person but I loved this book!
Review: The Color of Water by James McBride is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The book is about the hardships a black boy and his family face after their black father dies and their white mother is left to raise her huge family by herself. This book was outstanding and I couldn't stop reading it. The amazing things this mother did her family and the values she tought them-education and religion, were truly a feat none other than herself could match. A must read!
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Summary: A rare read. The end came but I wanted to keep reading!
Review: I heard of the book by word of mouth, and then passed it on to others who also loved it. From my perspective, it's a book about a REAL life and a real triumph. Perhaps the few who have given it negative reviews have an agenda of their own ...or perhaps it struck a personal chord that was unpleasant. In any case, the book WILL strike a chord. I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who is interested in sociology, psychology, good biography, or simply an interesting story.
Rating:
Summary: Intensely touching and thought-provoking
Review: A book to be read by everyone... one that breaks down so many barriers to reinstate faith in the human race
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Summary: Turned off by mother's life.
Review: While I enjoyed and appreciated the insights and the writing style of McBride, I was thoroughly disgusted by his mother's life. It is certainly admirable that her kids turned out the way they did, but there is simply nothing admirable about bringing twelve children into a world of poverty and racial conflict. I can't understand why most of the reviews of this book paint Mr. McBride's mother to be a hero, when in fact she was irresponsible and troubled. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the story of triumph over tragedy, and the wondeful insights Mr. McBride had to offer.
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