The Color Of Water- Blog 1

So if I could summarize the first part of *The Color of Water* in one word, it would be depressing. I seriously want to cry for this kid and his mother the entire time that I spend reading this book. It's just one thing after another for this family! When you think things can't possibly get any worse, they do. I could never ever in my wildest dreams imagine living in a family of 12 kids that fight for food and fight for affection. That's insane to me. And they aren't even just 12 regular kids; they are 12 MIXED kids that grow up during a time of segregation with only a white Jewish mom. That makes things 10 times worse. What James McBride, the author of the book, endured during his life amazes me and makes me feel extremely lucky for all that I have. 

One of the cutest things to me in this book so far to me was how James always took up for his mom and worried about her safety. When he was put on the bus to go to summer camp, he noticed this well-dressed black father dropping his son off for camp too. James almost even admired this man because of his nice clothes and cool handshakes, but as soon as James found out this man was a Black Panther he immediately dropped the admiration and worried for his mothers safety. He even punched the little kid! Another seen that truly struck my heartstrings was when James mom got her purse stolen at the subway. She didn't scream or anything, almost like she was used to it. It was so sooo sad to me to imagine seeing my mom in that position. I don't know what I would have done. And although she was oppressed by blacks and whites, James's mom didn't hate either. All she wanted in life was a good life for her family, which is why she pressed grades more than anything. 

James's mom's life story so far is extremely depressing too. Poor thing can't seem to catch a break anywhere. From being sexually abused, to having a handicapped mother, to having 2 husbands die and 12 kids to take of, to have absolutely none of her own family to help her out, to being the only white woman in a sea of black people, one might think the woman would go crazy, but somehow she didn't. She trusted that God would take care of her. That's so amazing to me that she had so much faith that everything was going to be okay, when it never had been before. She is one woman any girl could look up to. She did everything she could for her family.

So far, I like this book to an extent. I makes me rather sad though. Stay tuned for more blogs on *The Color Of Water*! :)