Joel A reviewed The Color of Water by James McBride
Insightful
4 stars
A fascinating memoir about being Jewish and being Black, and about what it takes to thrive in difficult circumstances
256 pages
English language
Published Feb. 1, 2006 by Penguin Publishing Group.
Who is Ruth McBride Jordan? A self-declared "light-skinned" woman evasive about her ethnicity, yet steadfast in her love for her twelve black children. James McBride, journalist, musician, and son, explores his mother's past, as well as his own upbringing and heritage, in this poignant and powerful memoir. Interspersed throughout his mother's compelling narrative, McBride shares candid recollections of his own experiences as a mixed-race child of poverty, his flirtations with drugs and violence, and his eventual self- realization and professional success. The Color of Water touches readers of all colors as a vivid portrait of growing up, a haunting meditation on race and identity, and a lyrical valentine to a mother from her son.
A fascinating memoir about being Jewish and being Black, and about what it takes to thrive in difficult circumstances