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
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.