Rating: 
Summary: I'm glad I found this one
Review: The only reason I found out about this book was because I joined a book club. The title didn't grab me, the sub-title didn't inspire me to grab this one off the shelves.Boy am I glad I read it though! Makes me wonder how many other books of this caliber I've missed throughout the years. The Color of Water is an outstanding read, and as biographies go, I felt more connected to this story than most I've read. I don't see how you could read this book and not feel like you've learned something. Definitely a 5-star book.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational Reading
Review: I just finished reading it for the second time (first time was when it was a new release), and I still can't get over how much this book touched me. This book is one incredibly moving memoir. The Color of Water is a black man's tribute to his white Jewish mother. I really enjoyed hearing Ruth McBride Jordan's amazing story. Through the telling of her life, we learn a great deal about the the author, James McBride, as well. We read through Ruth's story, feeling her anguish in hard times. We fight with her to put twelve children through college, and we lend our hearts out to her in hopes of easing her job of instilling proper values in her children. McBride did an excellent job of bringing the reader directly into this unforgettable story, allowing us to feel the emotion. The book's format was quite interesting as well, alternating chapters from the mother's point of view to that of his. The Color of Water was just an all-around well written book, and a joy to read. Please read this powerful, uplifting memoir. You'll enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: A poignant, touching and inspiring memoir.
Review: James McBride, in "The Color of Water," writes about his Jewish mother and the tremendous impact that she had on him and on his siblings. Rachel Shilsky was born in Poland and she emigrated with her family to America when she was a young girl. Rachel's father abused her emotionally and physically, and her life consisted of poverty, loneliness and drudgery. When she could stand it no longer, Rachel changed her name to Ruth and she left her father, mother and sister to start a new life. Ruth cut herself off from her entire heritage and embraced Christianity. She was also married twice (to Black men) and she had twelve children. McBride does not wallow in sentiment, and his book is all the more touching because of its humor and realism. He describes his family life, warts and all. McBride admits that, as a young man, he robbed people and experimented with drugs. Gradually, McBride found his path in life, and he also learned the surprising history of his mother's life, which she had taken great pains to hide. McBride's voyage of self-discovery parallels his discovery of how Rachel Shilsky became Ruth McBride Jordan, church founder and mother of twelve mixed-race children. "The Color of Water" is beautifully written, understated, and eloquent. You will not easily forget it.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing New After Page 40
Review: My definition of a worthwhile read, especially in memoirs, would be one that is compelling, insightful, educational, and/or new. One out of five stars because only about 20% of this book fulfilled the previous criteria, and nothing new was written after about page 40. This book had mass appeal potential, but in reality that appeal cannot be beyond those few that have had large-family interracial experiences.
Rating:
Summary: A Learning Experiance For All
Review: I have never really enjoyed books such as this one. But I liked this book a lot! It was a heart-felt novel that kept me laughing, crying, and thinking. Being only 17, I could really relate to McBride's teenage problems. If I liked this book-you know it's got to be a good one. Take my word for it. This book will teach you many important life lessons.
Rating:
Summary: A juxtaposition of gritty journalism and personal discovery
Review: McBride, an award-winning journalist, does a fantastic job of unraveling his own past, page by page in this book about personal histories and how we uncover them over time. Without over-seasoning the story with embellishment and *sugar* - he paints a grim, funny and colorful picture of life as a black child growing up with a strong, irreverant white Jewish mother and 11 brothers and sisters - all of whom somehow, battling poverty, hardship and discrimination - realize amazing successes as adults - both personally and professionally. If you're looking for something a little different, this one's hard to put down.
Rating: 
Summary: Keeping His Distance
Review: Subtitled "A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother," this book is exactly that -- a man's account of his research into his mother's background. McBride's mother raised twelve fantastically successful children despite enormous obstacles. Unfortunately, McBride seems to value resume-type accomplishments more than ones of character. He tells us every degree earned by his brothers and sisters, but very little about them as people. What type of personalities do they have? Who are their families? What are their passions? I would have liked to have known. McBride takes a removed stance, as if it were somebody else's family that he was assigned to report on. His background in journalism may help explain the odd distance McBride maintains. In the end, I knew a lot about the details of his mother's life, but little of her inner existence. Perhaps this limited amount was all that McBride could tell. Perhaps all we really know about people is what they present to the outside world. Despite the altnerating points of view (McBride alternates chapters as "himself" and "his mother") McBride never climbs far enough into his mother's head to make her seem real to me. My favorite scene: McBride's mother speaks at a church celebration/reunion. Overcome by emotion, she throws away her notes and speaks ad lib, from the heart. I wish that McBride had followed her lead when writing this book.
Rating:
Summary: MOVING AND POIGNANT
Review: This novel is truly inspirational on a number of different levels. The authors first hand experience concerning the identity crisis that sometimes befalls children of mixed heritage was truly amazing. Although a story about race, this novel showcases an incredible and exceptional woman. I had seen this novel in bookstores several times however never purchased it due to my own issues surrounding the marriage of black men to white women. Of course, that is my issue, not the authors. However, after recently purchasing and reading the novel, I truly wished that I had read it much earlier. This story is really about a tribute to a mother who has the strength, wisdom and love necessary in raising 12 successful children. The fact that this woman, who for all practical purposes by today's standards grew up in a dysfunctional family, could give to her children that which she did not receive as a child, i.e,love, wisdom, education, purpose, direction, hope, etc was awe inspiring. The story is also about the struggles of racial identity and how the author dealt with those issues while growing up. The authors personal and intimate revelations concerning how he really felt living in the precarious world of white vs. black took a lot of courage and guts. It is probably not easy to admit to yourself and then to your mother that you were ashamed of her because the color of her skin. That was pretty powerful. The authors candor and honesty made this novel an exceptional read and one that pulled at the heart strings. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone of any age, race or religious background. Don't make the mistake of waiting to read this novel or you will definately miss out! Excellant read!
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational
Review: In The Color of Water James McBride takes us through his life growing up in the Red Hook projects in Brooklyn with a white Jewish mother and twelve interracial brothers and sisters. This moving narrative takes us through the life of a young African American growing up in the turbulent sixties in a large Ghetto of the Red Hook housing projects. McBride takes us through the hardships of growing up in an all black area of New York City with a Jewish turned Christian White Mother. Through his experiences he teaches us the nobility and joy of being part of mankind. Even in the face of poverty, McBride focuses on the guidance of his White mother and influence she had on him and his brothers' and sisters' lives. In poverty, his mother, through sheer will, pushed all her kids through college and on to such careers as Psychology, Medicine, and Teaching. Through perseverance, she gave her kids the benefit of a better education through many scholarships the children earned. Often her kids would be the only African-American students in the usually all-white private schools. Growing up Jewish, she envied Jewish families that prided themselves on education and religion, sending their kids off to the best schools, she figured her kids should have the same opportunity. This excerpt shows how McBride uses words to convey a crisp image and perception of his mother. At fifty-one she was still slender and pretty, with curly black hair, dark eyes, a large nose, a sparkling smile, and a bowlegged walk you could see a mile off. We used to call that "Mommy's mad walk," and if she was doing that in your direction, all hell was gonna break loose. (p. 7) His Mother grew up in a small Jewish community in North Carolina with a debilitated mother who completely relied on her and a racist greedy father who didn't care about her or her mom and who frequently molested her. Her family was very strict, she did but have only one friend, and at school she was isolated and tormented because of her Jewish faith. Through frequent summer visits to her aunt's house in New York, she finally moved there. After marrying an African American man, she was disowned by her family. She went on to be twice-married to African American men (the first one died of cancer) and have twelve biracial children. She is still alive and well today. She finally got her university degree in 1986 at the age of 65 from Temple university and still works today in social work. She conducted her life in the name of God. After leaving North Carolina she embraced God and converted to Christianity. Part of her personality was that she didn't care about what people thought and she carried on with her life the way she felt it would be best for her and her children. Her inner strength became commonplace and rubbed off on all her kids. Such inner strength lead her to led her life regardless of anything else. In this passage from The Color of Water McBride tries to focus on her inner strength, he does a great job at drawing and framing peoples personalities. Mommy loved God. She went to church each and every Sunday, the only white person in sight, butchering lovely hymns with a singing voice that sounded like a cross between a cold engine trying to crank and an October morning and a whining Maytag washer. My siblings and I would muffle our laughter as mommy dug into the hymns with verve and gusto."Leaning . . . oh, leaning . . . safe and secure on the" Up, up and away she went, her shrill voice climbing higher and higher, reminding us of Curly of the three Stooges. It sounded so horrible that I often thought Rev. Owens, our minister, would get up from his seat and stop the song." (p. 45) This book is definitely and defiantly one of the best books I have ever read. It Gets acrosss the message that life is meant to be lived regardless of anything else. On the cover, it said, that this book was a "Black Man's Tribute to his White mother." This is a tribute, in all senses of the word, to everyone who reads this book. Not giving it a ten on a one-to-ten scale would be unthinkable. I recommend this book to anyone, young or old; it is truly a tribute to the will of mankind.
Rating: 
Summary: Good reading
Review: I thumbed through a little bit, and it was very catchy. Had to buy it. At various points, this book had me laughing... off. More engaging than I expected. Very readable.
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