The Color of Water

 The Color of Water is A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother written by James McBride. I read a hardcover copy published in 1996. I already reviewed this on Good Reads, and will copy some of that review here later. I may have to edit it, as I had not finished reading it when I rat4ed/reviewed the memoir/autobiography.

The book is written in alternate chapters. One tells the story of Jame's childhood, growing up with a mother who denied being white, just light-skinned. Photographs in the book are very light covered over with gray, and hard to view. I would have preferred photos of the family included in the body of the book, not a few black and white, grayed over pages at start and end of the book.

Early on McBride tells readers his mother looks white, he does not look like her. Hence photos would be useful. Many biracial children, children of children of children born of slaves after rape by slave master, look more white than black. Carol Channing would be considered black by the "one-drop" rule. Lena Horne could have passed for white. 

Did his mother look like those two actresses or more like Marilyn Monroe? She had very dark eyes and dark hair. He did not know that she was Hebrew until he decided to write this book. Hebrews from the Middle East often have dark, kinky type curly hair. We learn, however, that his mother was born in Poland. I think of people from Poland as being very white. So perhaps, to young James, her skin color was that of a typical white person. 

The other chapters are his mother's narrative. He tape recorded his interviews with her after forcing her to tell him her family history. I enjoyed both stories, but found the mother's chapters hard to read due to be published in italics with smaller text. Even with my brightest light and reading glasses, I often was squinting. This is why it took me longer to read than was normal for me for a book of 223 pages ~ more if one reads the acknowledgements which I did. Mostly. The list of thank yous became too long to read all the unknown names.

Many who gave The Color of Water one start reviews at Good Reads slammed the author for being anti-semitic; using every negative stereotype of Jews as there are. I did not find that to be true. The only stereotype that comes quickly to mind is "cheap." So what if  her father was a tightwad or frugal, so are persons of all types, especially immigrants or others who grew up in poverty. It is his mother's recollection that her father was not free with his money.

If she described her aunts in a certain way, that is how she perceived them. It is also likely they were exactly as described. They sat Shiva on her after she married Jame's father. Orthodox Jews may still do that in today's world. Catholics used to be excommunicated. But I do not know if their families considered them dead. I do know many disowned their children for a variety of reasons. Including marrying outside of ethnicity. 

To be continued