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Summary: A wonderful book to read & recommend to friends.
Review: I enjoyed reading about this man's unusual family and the reality of what is like to grow up both poor in finances and in a racially mixed family. A captivating story and one you continue to think about long after you've put the book down.
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Summary: A perpetuation of stereotypes fails to inspire.
Review: I was very eager to read this book and did so in one sitting. Perhaps I was asking for too much, but I wanted to experience some connection to the lives of the McBride family so that I could convince myself that the racial divide we experience is merely perception. I was disappointed to read endless descriptions of stereotypical characterizations that simply do not ring true for me. It is perhaps unfair to say I wanted to see an evolution take place in which the McBride family would ultimately see that people, regardless of skin color and religion, are generally respectful and honorable, since, afterall, the book is non-fiction and it is what it is; but still, I was looking for an inspiring pay-off. Instead, we get a bunch kids who are able to go to college. That is a wonderful thing, yet it pales next to providing children a view of the world in which other races and religions are not barriers, but opportunities for understanding.
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Summary: You will not be able to set this book down.
Review: This book showed growing up in America from many different view points. Anyone can relate to at least one or two of the characters. It envokes thought on prejudice, and segregation in America in the past and in today. The only reason it doesn't get a 5 is because it didn't seem like McBride new the right way to end it, and also i think it is deminished (as is any novel) by writing about the process of writing it. Otherwise it is one of my favorite, and most well written books that i have ever read. You'll enjoy it so much, that you'll be finished reading it in three days.
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Summary: Read this book!
Review: Beautiful story of a woman and her family overcoming the odds. It shows how the spirit can truly triumph with love and determination. Those who do not read this book are missing out. It one that really warms the heart.
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Summary: Perhaps The Best Book I've Ever Read
Review: Without a doubt, "The Color of Water" is one of the most powerful books I've ever read. When the book was recommended to me, I read it because I thought I'd learn something new about this Black Man's life with a white mother. As I do not know this experience personally, I expected to learn of it, from a spectator's view. What I learned was that there is great commonality in the human experience -- the disenfranchised, the poor, the oppressed. Strong and very validating of my personal life experience . . . Loved It!
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Summary: A Tribute To The Human Spirit
Review: This book powerfully portrays the struggles of a remarkable family.It is a dual auto-biography told in two voices in alternating chapters. James McBride and his mother, Ruth Jordan McBride reveal their personal histories with poignancy and humor. I cried and laughed with them and marveled at their courage, determination, and loyalty. The skillfull interweaving of their stories contributed to the heightened interest. Ruth McBride deserves accolades for confronting her extremely difficult childhood and creating a healthier new life for herself even though it included poverty, widowhood (twice), plus twelve children. Her heroic efforts resulted in a strong, unified, educated family. James McBride's search for self-understanding resulted in this rich tapestry .. a tale about a never-to-be-forgotten family. Thank you both for sharing your pain and your triumphs with us. This should be required reading in the public schools.
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Summary: It made me a more insightful mother.
Review: The story of this remarkable mother, who could have wallowed in depression at so many points in her life, but instead embraced life with arms open wide, is an inspiration to me as a mother. She overcame sexual abuse as a child, a controlling father, crippled mother, the disdane of her community, and the racism of the South to build a beautiful life for herself and her children, with very little material wealth. This book shows that appearances are not important, that wealth is fleeting, and that family, love, and intelligence are the most important aspects of this life. This book has changed the way I view my children and myself as their mother. It has also made me impatient with parents who worry about what clothes their child wears, what haircut he has, what lessons he takes, what car he drives, etc. Ruth McBride put first things first, and her tweleve remarkable children are evidence that her first priorities should be the first priority for us all. What a world we would live in then!
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Summary: It was a well written book.
Review: I thought the book was well written, however I felt that Ruth should have maintained some of her Jewish background to some degree. I also felt that Ruth's first husband, Mcbride, who was an African- American had a lot of nerve to bring a Jewish woman into a totally Black environment. The second husband had to be a fool to marry a woman with eight children already.However, overall they all survivded. Multiracial children have difficulty with identity and the parents should consider this before they bring children into that union.
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Summary: McBride's tibute is excellent.
Review: THE COLOR OF WATER was an excellent book that I had to read for my summer reading project. The struggle that the mother had to go through for her children. The persistence that it took for the children to go forward instead of giving up and quitting was very interesting. The whole plot interweaved together, from the childhood of the mother with her father and the negative world she lived in. To the things she loved the most her children, the church, and Harlem. I reccomend this book to anyone of any color. Because the auther really stretched the value of not judging a person by their color, except by who they really are.
Rating:
Summary: It was great.
Review: I enjoyed it because I could relate to some of the chapters in the novel. A example was when everyone was deciding were to have the holidays at? I would recommend it to others because it explains how a boy grew up in a white and black community.
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