Book Review of "The Color of Water"

The Color of Water

Author: James McBride

Reviewed by: Lexi Alvarez

The Color of Water is a novel written by James McBride. This book is the life story of James McBride and his mother. He describes his brothers and sisters and his mother and how he lived his life. Half of the book is the life story of Ruth McBride his mother and when she was a child and how being a Jewish family was very difficult in the South both have their totally different stories of their lives how they grew up, what they went through, what their parents were like and basically there life. The story was written by the son James, he interviewed his mother ABOUT her life and also wrote about himself. The Book it goes back and forth their lives. Ruth McBride told all about her life how her father was a very serious Rabbi. They would always have to move from place to place because the states or cities they stayed in didn’t really need him anymore. Ruth had gone through a tough time, with her father Tateh; he would abuse her and molest her without her mother knowing. She never wanted to tell her mother because she never wanted to hurt her mother. Her father was always too obsessed over his new store he had opened in one of the places they had moved too. They never had any workers so Ruth and her brother Sam always had to work at the place before and after school. Ruth also had a younger sister called Dee-Dee. Ruth always had the harder time because she was the one who had to keep her secret about her dad. She had a pretty tough time. She always had a hard time because of getting teased most of the time because she was Jewish. Her mother was also very hurt from getting Polio while she was younger; she got teased because of her mother. James McBride was the son of Ruth McBride and was 1 of 12 children. His mother was very tired from raising 12 children. His mother had only married black men; his first father had died at the age of 45 from lung cancer when he was young. After the first father died she had married another man named Hunter Jordan who was his stepfather but was more of a father because his first one died when James was very young. Hunter Jordan gave her 4 more children making a total of 13. Church was always very important to their family. The parents were strict, but not all of the time. The book is a mixture of both of their lives. They both want somebody to understand how they lived their lives when they were younger. Ruth had her troubles with her father and how she had to live her life as a young girl. Ruth lived in a place where Blacks and Whites were separated even on different sides of the streets. James had a difficult life because he had to help his mother with the children sometimes when he was an older child. They both had a difficult life, they did not know how to stick through it for their whole life until they grew up. Personally I thought that the book was a very great read. I loved the idea of how they told the story of two different people. I liked how they named it “The Color of Water” because I did not understand at first until it said in the book. It was a very great book written by James McBride.

LOTF Final Blog Post

Title: Our fight
Jacks Journal

I was looking out for any others coouming to join our tribe. Who wouldn't want to come to my tribe we have meat. We had that fatty's specs I thought to myself I bet you that he ct to gpo an't even see one thing "ha". My tribe was very delirous about something there was a pig so we went to go hunt. We got of the the pig we were all very delirous because of this. We dragged the pig back to our tribe. All of a sudden Ralph and his tribe come over what were they thinking we had spears but then they had spears to. Ralph and Piggy cane with a great cessation right in front of me.

All of a sudden Ralph charges for me with great force he thought he could fight me. Truculently I charged at him with my spear I could not get him he was squirming all over I kept on missing I got little scratches on him. He would not stop he must have been really mad at me. I heard a big crash come down on top of piggy. Roger truculently threw down a lorage boulder type on top of Piggy and smashed him down. All the boys just stood their Ralph took a good look at him and started to run off. Leaving SamnEric with us we tied them up and tortured them until they would stay with our tribe. In the mean time I got very furious with Roger for leaving his stand but I was to busy thinking about how I would get Ralph back.

Title: The fire
Jacks Journal

We were all getting ready for the big feast tonite. * * * It was night time and we were all having a great time dancing and shouting with our pig right in the middle eating meat. I had sent SamnEric to watch over they were not in this because they did not hunt like the others. They would both form there own little cordon. We all had a great ululation coming from us during this I sent Roger to check on the twins to make sure that they were doing there job right. The next day we sharpened are sticks and head out ot get Ralph. We would plan to distend him all over.

We were heading out we took SamnEric with us to get information out of them to where Ralph was hiding. Aha we found his hiding spot 1, 2, 3 heave was how we would get into it. And again 1, 2, 3 HEAVE!!! We could not get inno matter what a spear came poking out of this spot and jabbed one of the twins the ululation coming out of him could tell it hurt. He ran out past me and Roger as fast as he could we ran and we lost him so we had just kept running. We saw the awful pigs head which had turned into just bones now lying on the floor. The whole Island was pn fire I had left to the fire but I was concentrated on finding Ralph. When we did we saw a tall dark man standing in front of us already talkign to Ralph. The epaulettes shaked when he had talked to us and asked us how many there were we did not know. You could tell that his uniform was made very nicely out of drill after he was done talking we head off on his boat ready to go back home.

Lotf Blog post

Title: Terrible death
Simons Journal

I had just awaken from my terrible fainting. I woke up with a phospherescence apearing in my eyes and then it went away. I undid myself from from the parachute lines I had tangled myself in the parachute myself. Then I remembered I saw the man in the parachute. I undid the parachute from him to he was dead. I had to go tell the others about the man. I ran down there hearing their wild chant, what they do when they are hunting. They were imitating some hunt that they had earlier I guess. I walked in and it was all dark. All of a sudden they started attacking me with their hands and teeth. I rolled of the hill and onto the sand they came and jumped on me I was screaming there is a man on the hill. But all of a sudden I could see "the light". I did not know that I was going to die from them just attacking me but it happened

I had floated out iinto the ocean with a bunch of shining and glowing fish all around me.

Chapt 10:
Title: Watching over
Simons Journal

I could not get great illumination out of whaat happened. I would watch the boys every once in a while. They would talk about me every once in a while abotu how Jack and his "savages" killed me and attacked me. They said that it was an accident, I sort of believe them but in a way I dont maybe they did not know who I was though. Jack was getting worse with his power he wanted to steal Ralphs fire I thought that its not worth it just make your own. Instead they got to Piggy;s glasses and took them. Jack had just gone barmy with it.

LOTF Blog post

Title: Madness

Piggy's Journal



Our group has turned into complete madness. All I keep on hearing about is the frihgtning beast. Jack returns and tells us that there is definatly a beast on the mountain I was not very sure if I could actually believe him about this but I might as well as go along with it. We kept on thinking it might have just been a pig that paunched.



It was now all about the beastie since SamnEric came and told Ralph. Jack says that we should take Ralph out of power and is a coward. I didn't think he was a coward I personally thougth that he was a great leader. Jack thought otherwise though. He always had a taboo going in him. I was not the only one who thought that a few others thought that was not right to take hom out of power. Jack was so angry he walked off and said if any others would like to go with him feel free to join.



I saw Ralph get very sad into almost a depression. I was very demure when i spoke with him. I went over to help him and see if he was ok. While I was conforting Ralph, again we could not find Simon we have always been wondering where he goes and is off to. It seemed like Ralph missed where he lives I know I did like the school (suprisingly) and actually even the prefect at school. I was very demoniac with him.

Chapt 6: Title- Sight of Beastie
Ralphs Journal

I was in a wonderful deap sleep thinking of what it would be like if I could be home. I was thinking of being in a wonderful place where I was eating yummy food instead of just fruit. I was dreaming of being served nice cup of warm hot tea. Until I heard the noise of the two littluns saying my name over and over "Ralph Ralph wake up wake up". They woke me up sounding very waxy. They started talking very deffidently.

They were both a blurry sight once I saw them and then they became clear, it was SamnEric they were supposed to be watching the fire but then I heard "we saw the beastie". My ears shot up when I heard those words come out of there mouth. They were very interminable when they talked. I told them with great waxy "I call a meeting". I decided to call this meeting to see if we are going to go hunt this beastie. We talked and talked and came to a decision me n Jack would go hunting with a couple of hunters.

We went over where Jack has not been before we saw freash water dripping down I told him we could put a coconut there to get more freash water. Jack walked away mutinously saying not dor me. I did not understand. I was very surprised we were getting along and not fighting it was only me and him, so much for the hunters. They were just throwing boulders down the mountain, we might as well as get back to the fire to keep it going. Jack was the one to lead us back I was hoping for a ship to come. Its all I've wanted since we've been on this island is to go home.

Chapt 7: The impenatrable wall
Ralphd Journal

Sitting there staring at the sea breathing in the brine in the air, I was very impervious just watching the waves flow. I was sincerely an impenetrable wall keeping us from getting back home off thia island. The ocean was a great mess of baravado. Then immediatly something broke my moment of silence with the ocean. I saw a shape of some animal, the beast maybe. It was a boar I was very impervious from ths very large animal. It was satring at me trying to hide in the large moors. I had the spear and threw it as hard as I possibly could. I was so excited I hit it right in the nose. The boar sagely ran off it was smart to do that. I told the others I was so excited about it.

I wanted to go hunt more but I suggested to myself that I/we wait until the morning to actually go hunt. I think it would be hard to hunt at night. Then Jack convinced me to actually go hunt and challenge myself.

We were climbing up the mountain until we saw this big shadowy figure in the dark we could not make it out what it was. We thought it was a giant ape flapping around it almost looked like a tent but it really did not look like it I was terrified by it. We ran back to tell the othera to stay away from that area it was not safe. For anyone.

It was bleeding right in the nose it ran off I felt a great rush go through my body.

LOTF Blog #4

Title: The boring meating
Jacks Journal

I had to listen to Ralph he was the leader, so ike he said we all joined for a meeting down on the platform. It was our very first night meeting I did not really care though, I deserved to be calling this meeting I deserve to be the leader. This meeting was going to be just, just ludacris.

So Ralph got all of our attention, I wasn't listening that much to him. I did not have good decorum at this meeting I would chat with others during it. I could tell Ralph did not like me not listening so I just started listening. All of his rules were not right to not go to the bathroom near our water, its true but there are more important things like getting meat.

Then he started talking about the beastie. "Who cares about the beastie" I said jeeringy while the littun was talking about it. I kept on speaking "I could take this beastie down with my group of hunters we could sneak up on it". The lamntation of the boy was loud Ralph kept on saying shutup. I thougt that this meeting was just ludacris, I stood up and left with great chanting and dancing while my hunters followed I just could not take one other word out of his mouth. We were going to go find this beastie and kill it!

LOTF Blog #3

[Chapt. 3] Title: My secret spot
Simons Journal

I have been on this island for a few now I am not so fond of this island although it has a lot of fruit that I can have or eat. I was having vicissitudes builing these huts only with ralph. I was not the only one besides Ralph who was tired of Jack not participating in the building. I was sweating because of working so hard.

Finally Jack came back and Ralph was the first to confront Jack of why he was not working and how difficult this was with only two people. All the littluns were playing while me Ralph were building. At first Ralph was very inscrutable when he was talking. I poked my head out and they were fighting again. The conversation had great compulsion to it. Jack kept on saying we need meet, from my perspective I was doing fine without meet. Back and forth they yelled at eachother I could not take it.

I instantly heard the littluns, I glanced over and saw the littluns trying to get fruit. I wanted to be generous and help them maybe grab some fruit for them. While I was helping I could hear Jack and Ralph coming, I bolted into the forest.

I could see tendril leaves hanging i went inside, it was like my very own secret spot where I can be alone. The little cubby whole was very opaque so I peaked my head out and I got a pretty good view of the boys (Jack and Ralph). So I decided to just stay there asnd later I will go back and work on the huts some more once they leave.

[Chapt. 4] Title: The sight of the ship
Simons Journal

Still working hard on our houses, almost finished. Me and ralph actually finished all by ourselves with no help. I was glanicing over at the litluns there was a blatant noise coming from them. I saw that Roger and Maurice were stomping at the littluns castle with great belligerence. Then once they were done Roger decided to throw stones at him but surprisingly he was not really aming for him.

Once I was done I heard Ralph and Piggy yell SHIP! I ran out and saw the ship, then I saw them look up at the mountain I did the same there was no smoke, nobody was watching the fire. The were yelling malevolently. They went up to the fire before they could there the fire was out. Jack came running up with very wierd paintings on his face and then I saw SamnEric carrying meat. I was happy that they caught meet but at the same time mad that there was no smoke. Ralph got very mad that he was not watchign the fire they got so close they looked liek they were going to fight Ralph had only a few words to say and said it with graet belligerence. He told him to make another fire. While Jack just kept saying we got meet.

They started gather wood they needed Piggy's specs again his he was not happy but he gave it to them. As soon as they were done Piggy snached them out of Jack's hand. Jack got very angry he hit Piggy with great force knocking him over and breaking his glasses. He was yelling "you broke my specs". Jack had nothign to say I was very shocked by this. After all the rage was done we ate everybody got some but Piggy, I decided to give him some. Jock snatched the meet away and gave it back to me and pretty much made me eat it so I picked and did as he told me. Once we were Ralph had one thing to say "meeting will be now"

LOTF blog # 2

The boys and the fire

Piggy's Journal



Once the boys got back we all gathered into meating to figure out what was going to happen. They seemed very officious to speak. The first thing ralph said was whoever is holding the conch is the one that gets to talk. What we were talking about is how we were going to get others to see us such boats passing by. Then all of a sudden a young boy came out and asked for the conch so he could speak.



The little boy had great ebullience among him you could tell he wanted to speak. Once he got the conch all the others started to talk whie he was speaking. I went to go help him just to make sure that they could hear him and make sure they heard it just in case it was really important. I induced everbody to listen. The little boy fspoke of a beastie from what he spoke it sounded like a snake. Of course none of the boys listened to him you could bearly hear him.

After the meating was over the other boys decided to build a fire on top of the mountain. They all started capering off into the trees and up through the mountain like crazy men. Once i followed and caught up they had a huge mount of wood. Once the fire was lit they were all capering around it.

There was no smoke coming up from it, it was not working I told them that they should get green wood it always works so they all ran off to get more wood. The second time it would not lite so Jack took my specs and tryed to light it a.gain, still no smoke. The fire turned out not to be a success

LOTF blog #1

Chapter 1: Blowing the Conch
Ralphs Journal

I could not believe that I have landed on this island. I was immured in these trees. I am not sure if it is actually and island that I am on I kept on asking myself are there other? Soon after a boy about my age come up and ask where the others are. We both started walking toward the water I thought that I might take a quick dip. Surprisingly once I got in it was very warm just like an over-sized bath tub.

Once I got out of the water I found a platform type thing that Iwe could sit on the shade of green felt a lot better then the hot sun beating down on me. I asked this boy what he went by since I just cant call him by boy, he said in a very llow voice like there were peole around saying he was called piggy. I know this was rude but I bursted out in laughter right after he said the word piggy.

Soon after we got to know eachother Piggy spotted a white-ish thing floating in the water we went to go see he pulled it out and immediatly he said this is a rair conch shell you can blow in it. The motif on the shell was beautiful I thought. A few minutes later when I got all the sand out Piggy suggested I blow to see if other boys would come. Ofcourse I blew as hard as I could and then I looked over and saw young boys coming. Some did not have their togs on.

Soon after we met all eachother this other guy Jack and Simon and me went on to go see if it was and island. We ended up on top of the hill looking over the whole island we could see everything, we saw the biggest rock we just had to throw it down so we did it was amazing. Once we were on our way we saw a pig squealing stuck in the efflorescencing creepers. Jack was about to jab it but he wouldn't. We really need food for all these boys