IN-PERSON Book Club Meeting - 'THE COLOR OF WATER' by James McBride

'THE COLOR OF WATER' by James McBride

'In The Color of Water, McBride retraces his mother's footsteps and, through her searing and spirited voice, recreates her remarkable story. The daughter of a failed itinerant Orthodox rabbi, she was born Rachel Shilsky (actually Ruchel Dwara Zylska) in Poland on April 1, 1921. Fleeing pogroms, her family emigrated to America and ultimately settled in Suffolk, Virginia, a small town where anti-Semitism and racial tensions ran high. At 17, after fleeing Virginia and settling in New York City, Ruth married a Black minister and founded the all-Black New Brown Memorial Baptist Church in her Red Hook living room. "God is the colour of water", Ruth McBride taught her children, firmly convinced that life's blessings and life's values transcend race.

Interspersed throughout his mother's compelling narrative, McBride shares candid recollections of his own experiences as a mixed-race child of poverty, his flirtations with drugs and violence, and his eventual self-realization and professional success. The Color of Water touches listeners of all colours as a vivid portrait of growing up, a haunting meditation on race and identity, and a lyrical valentine to a mother from her son.'

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Read the book and join us for a lively discussion about the contents during our afternoon book club meeting.

PLEASE NOTE:

This is an IN-PERSON event in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Only 10 attendees are allowed. Please cancel your attendance in advance if you cannot join, so that people on the waitlist can participate.

Looking forward to seeing you all IN REAL LIFE then!

Best regards,
Sandra