What readers think of The Color of Water, plus links to write your own review.

The book was certainly a change from the regular stuff we read in English classes. It was easy to read, I couldn't put it down. The plot was so understandable, and yet it had so much impact and complications. I really liked the style of writing. It just kept flowing. I liked this book alot. It really made me understand why life for people was very hard back then.

This book written by James McBride, was far different from any other book that I have read for English before. I found that this book made me laugh,it made me sad (but I didn't cry). Even though I cannot identify with the characters in any way shape or form, I still feel what they're going through as I read the book. I saw that I was puting myself in their shoes while reading this book. This is just my kind of book I like sappy true stories that do not contain too many intense vocabulary words. Enjoy!

I admired the strength of Mrs. McBride. The way she raised her twelve children despite the insults because of their different racial backgrounds amazed me. I could hardly imagine a single mother raising twelve children to be professors, chemists, writers, and other great achievements; and James McBride was a good representative of it.

I felt the book was tedious. I thought the book would be more engaging. I think the author missed writing good book.

The most informative was Ruth's interview at the last of the book, where I gained the most understanding.
I relate it to the Ditch Digger's Daughters. A character comparison sees both obsessed with education using musical instruments to occupy a young mind. No tv? No babysitters? Required to be inside from 5 o'clock on? Ruth working at night?
The author himself almost torpedoing his life by throwing away his junior year which kept him from the choice school. He himself says he was lucky that crack hadn't hit the streets yet.
Possibly her choice of 12 children had to do with her guilt over her abortion at 15. Or that she needed the close association of family which her own denied her.
The Glass Castle made into a movie depicts much the same for an outcome of a dysfunctional family. A lucky contact with a film crew saved the author allowing her to save the others.
Did anyone posting here actually read this book?

Everyone is raving (sort of), but not me. I think the story is standardly written and full of cliches and the expected. Mcbride's ego shines through. I do like the italicized story of the mother, but the writing! It's all tell don't show. Okay for a high schooler I guess. To me, he did not have nearly enough fun. Ruth has a true value system and she made it work, but, frankly, we have heard this before and better told. You could read the epilogue and be done with it. But he is a journalist and a good one. Makes a great human feature story.

because it was a stupid book...i do not recamend it

Terrible. Absolutely Terrible. Why bring about racial discussion now?