On My Plate

I just finished reading a memoir titled The Color of Water. Somehow I missed this incredible book when it first came out ten years ago. I picked it up at the "3 for 2" table at Borders and was instantly captivated by the story.

I didn't really know what to expect as far as storyline, but I knew the book was critically acclaimed (sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes it's not). The Color of Water spent two years on the New York Times Bestseller list. It sold more than two million copies worldwide and has been translated into 20 languages.

I can say it deserves every bit of praise and recognition it got. This is truly one of the best books I have ever read, and I've read a LOT of books.

The Color of Water is the memoir of a black man, James McBride, who grew up during the Civil Rights movement. But really it's the story of his white mother, who raised a mixed-race family in a time and place where whites and blacks did not mingle.

McBride's mother was an orthodox Jew and the daughter of a rabbi. She immigrated with her family from Poland in the 1920s and was raised in the deep south. She later left her family and moved to New York, where she fell in love with a black man, converted to Christianity and raised 12 children.

McBride explores the complexities of how a woman of her background could turn her back on everything she knew to embrace what was then a socially unacceptable lifestyle. He also explores the impact her decisions had on him and his siblings -- the tensions underlying his life as he struggled to understand his identity as a black man who had a white mother.

While reading, I was skeptical of the "spiritual" element of the book. I wondered whether the Christianity spoken of was true and transforming or simply a cultural form of religion. Woven throughout the book, is an understanding and appreciation for how God made this family possible. This isn't a "Christian" book. It's a book written about a Christian woman and her son. As I continued to read, more and more of this woman's faith shone through and proved to be authentic. When I reached the end of the book, I read these words: "My mother and I would like to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for his love and faithfulness to all generations."

I really cannot speak highly enough of this book. I think everyone should read it. It is beautiful, sad, painful, tender, touching and inspiring. Get it at the bookstore, order it online, check it out from the library, borrow my copy...you won't be disappointed.