Book notes | The Color of Water
The Color of Water is James McBride’s tribute to his remarkable and eccentric mother. McBride skillfully alternates chapters relating his life story growing up in New York City projects with chapters conveying his mother’s life, told in her voice.
Ruthie Shilsky McBride Jordan was raised an Orthodox Jew. She was born in Poland in 1921 and grew up in rural Virginia. Her early life included her abusive father, an itinerant rabbi who ran a grocery store where he exploited his black customers. Her mother was crippled by polio, spoke no English, and was emotionally abused by her husband.
Living in rural Virginia, Ruthie was shunned by whites and blacks alike, because she was a Jew and also for her father’s business practices. She left Virginia in 1941, moving to New York to stay with relatives. She married an African American, Andrew McBride, and after his death, she married Hunter Jordan, another African American. She had eight children with her first husband and four children with her second husband. Her Jewish family declared her dead after marrying Andrew McBride. After leaving Virginia, she never saw her mother again.
Ruthie raised 12 children in all-black, lower-income neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens. There were many opportunities for her children to get into trouble, but her unremitting advocacy for them and her belief in the importance of education and faith provided the foundation for their success as adults.
James McBride stated, “My parents were non-materialistic. They believed that money without knowledge was worthless, that education tempered with religion was the way to climb out of poverty in America, and over the years they were proven right.” All her 12 children graduated from college and succeeded as doctors, educators, and in other professions.
UMRA Book Club I members universally acclaimed the book. They described McBride’s mother as amazing, a hero, admirable, courageous, and strong. They appreciated McBride’s writing style, commenting on how he alternated chapters between his recollection of his growing up, with his mother’s story in her own voice. They discussed how clearly McBride showed his love for his mother. They recommend this book to others.
—Kathleen Cramer, UMRA Book Club I member
UMRA Book Club I to meet April 16
Fri, Apr 16 2021, 2pm
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Color of Water by James McBride when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 16.
The UMRA Book Club currently has 16 members, a number that works well for our discussions. Contact Pat Tollefson at [email protected] for more information, including suggestions for starting a new book club.
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.