I think this one deserves a reread from me, just to take it all in. ( )

McBride's ode to his mother. Beautiful. Strong. ( )

Ruth McBride Jordan was a fierce woman. She was born a Polish Jew, emigrated to the US, and changed her name 2x to disassociate herself from her past. She also fell in love with, and married 2 black men, which caused her to be shunned by her family. Along with her husband, Dennis McBride, she had 8 children, converted to Christianity, and began a church. She then married Hunter Jordan, and had more children. All her children grew to be successful.
This is an amazing story told by her son, James, and is interspersed with Ruth telling her life story to him, while he weaves the tales into his own life.
I loved it. I thought it was remarkable the way Ruth forged her own path, and although naive at times, was able to make it through. Moving story. ( )

Excellent, amazing documentation of a journey of two generations of a multi-racial family. ( )

This book is essentially two memoirs in one - both the author's and his mother's.

Some very sad moments, as well as funny stories, are recounted. I found it really interesting how scared McBride was for his white mother's safety, when he was growing up.

The ending was a little anticlimactic and disappointing, though I can't quite put my finger on the reason for that.

There was some profanity and a couple of vulgar comments that I really wish had been edited out. ( )