"It’s perpetual motion; the thing man wanted to invent but never did...it’s a mystery...its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences...clean, quick, sure; nothing to rot later. Antibiotic, aesthetic, practical."

Fahrenheit 451

By: Ray Bradbury

Part Two: The Sieve and the Sand, pg. 94-110

Part Three: Burning Bright, pg. 113-165

Don't judge a book by its cover...

 The Sieve and the Sand

   The scene begins as Montag withdraws money from his account to pay Faber. The country has begun mobilizing for war. The country is an atomic crisis. Faber begins to read the book of Job to Montag. Encouraged, Montag heads home only to find Mildred with her "TV family" and friends -- Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles. He attempts to engage the three women in conversation...and quickly becomes angered by their lack of values. For example, he asked the women their thoughts on voting in a presidential election. Their typical answer included the man's appearance on, you guessed it, television. Montag breaks out his poetry book and reads Dover Beach to the women. The women become emotional and even angered by such actions -- Montag wishes others could see and know what he sees and knows. I believe this is another turning point for Montag. It opens his eyes to the world that is actually around him. Mildred returns to her bedroom, and Montag quickly discovers that Millie has been burning his books -- one by one. He plots to rehide them in the backyard...soon, he is consumed with guilt for upsetting Millie and her friends. This shows his self identity and emotion for personal issues that most in this futuristic society don't practice and understand. He begins to discover self doubt. Are THEY in the right to just focus on pleasure in life? Yes, if there was no war and all was right with the world. But those realities call for detention. Montag heads back to the fire station for the first time since his leave of absence. Faber, in his radio ear piece, scolds and consoles him along the way. Beatty welcomes Montag after his "period of folly." One of my favorite quotes, that I hope to retain in my memory, was at this point of the novel -- Faber says, "Don't be afraid of mistakes, as they sharpen the mind." This holds so much meaning to me, for, as the saying goes, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. At the end of Part Two, Montag discovers his house on fire... 

Burning Bright

As Montag gazes at Clarisse's empty house, his empty eyes give way to his innermost being. Beatty soon assumes (under correct pretenses) that Montag has fallen into Clarisse's influence. Nevertheless, Beatty berates him for it. Upon arrival of the Montag residence, Mildred rushes out of the home, suitcase in hand, headed for a taxi. Beatty orders Montag to burn the house with his flame thrower -- how INsincere and emotionless is that...Beatty has always weirded (is that a word?) me out. Beatty also warns Montag that the Mechanical Hound will be on the watch for him should he attempt escape. Of course, Montag torches all of the home, and Beatty places him under arrest. Beatty discovers Montag's ear piece, to which he converses with Faber, and strikes Montag on the head. He continues to degrade Montag by quoting literary works...but Montag throws his flame thrower at Beatty, and he turns to a crisp. What. A. Relief.

The Mechanical Hound injected anesthetic into Montag's leg, but numb Montag was eager to escape. He seeked his four hidden books in the backyard he had hid once before. He discovered a seashell radio, only to find out that the police are on a mass search for him. War has officially been declared for the country. Montag begins to cross the street but is almost hit by a speeding car. He ponders -- could these kids be the same ones how killed Clarisse? After perishing such a thought, Montag creeps into co-workers houses to hide books. He visits with Faber once more, and Faber makes plans for Montag to take the old railroad tracks and meet him one day in St. Louis to meet a retired printer. the Mechanical Hound is out on the hunt for Montag. Montag tracks the Hound by glancing in people's windows of their TV parlors to catch the news reports. The Hound hesitates at Faber's house but passes through. An all call to action was televised, stating for a ten count, neighbor to neighbor search for Montag. He makes it to the river before anyone began to search. After wading the current, Montag washes ashore in the countryside. Here's where my favorite part begins...He feels a strong sense of Clarisse's presence, assuming she has been there before. He stumbles upon the track which will soon lead him to a fire with five men sitting. The leader of the group, Granger, invites Montag and says that they have been expecting him, for they have been watching the chase on TV. The men were neat and clean, yet homeless....hmmmm, that's strange. They contain considerable technology, too. Even stranger. Granger gives colorless fluid to Montag to cover his scent from the MH. A strange part, in my opinion, occurred as the scapegoat of an innocent man died in Montag's place. Granger provided great comic relief to Montag (who felt distraught) when he said, "Welcome back to life." These former professors and intellectuals saw Montag as their "back up copy" of the book of Ecclesiastes. Finally! His reading and love for literature has been validated by someone!

I loved Granger's character. His motives through the end of the novel were enouraging. He stated that he and his group (of thousands) are waiting for humanity to become ready for books again so that they can be of some use to the world. If only...

He also describes how to always remember -- that books are not important in themselves but only as repositories of knowledge, confident in man's determination to save what is worth saving. Montag is perplexed and analyzes the men's faces. They laugh at his blank stares and tell him not to judge a book by its cover. Clever, huh? Very fitting...

Montag thinks of his wife Mildred...he left her, yet doesn't miss her at all. He thinks of her untimely death and is not saddened by the thought. Granger, with consoling words tells a story of his grandfather's death and also of his wisdom. He says, "When people change even a small part of the world thoughtfully and deliberately, they leave behind enough of their souls to enable other people to mourn them properly." Well said, in my opinion.

Suddenly, jets flash over the city. Somehow, I had forgotten that the country was under nuclear warfare. The jets drop bombs, and the city is vaporized by the explosion. The men were knocked flat by the shockwave. Internally, Montag is torn. He thinks of Millie again -- thinks of her dying -- and realizes where he met her...in Chicago. Earlier in the novel, the two argued over personal matters like this. He was in disbelief at his lack of knowledge on personal memories in life. He began repeating the book of Ecclesiastes to himself.

Granger symbolically compares mankind to a phoenix, rising again and again from its own ashes. He tells the men that they will need to build a mirror factory to take a looooong look at themselves. And as the book closes, the men head upriver to help the survivors rebuild.

How interesting! This book has so much symbolism -- like the mirror, as it compares to self understanding. Several paradoxes were displayed throughout and religious references were a heavy influence. I also loved Bradbury's use of animal and nature imagery to convey this futuristic novel.

 

"...the temperature at which book paper catches fire, and burns..."

Fahrenheit 451

By: Ray Bradbury

Part One: The Hearth and the Salamander, pg. 3-68

Part Two: The Sieve and the Sand, pg.71-93

Eager to begin this book (that I've heard so much about), I flipped the novel open...there, I found this quote: "If they give you ruled paper, write the other way." Penned by Juan Ramon Jimenez, these words are ambitious, daring, and encouraging. Little did I know -- it set the tone for the story to ensue...

In the first sections of this futuristic American society novel, I learned that the value of books lies in the detailed awareness of the life that they contain. This means that one needs not only books but also the leisure to read them and the freedom to act upon those ideas in life.

The Hearth and the Salamander

Guy Montag, the protagonist cleverly named after a paper manufacturing company (ironic, huh), is a fireman in charge of burning books in this grim, objective society. He wears a black uniform with a salamander on the arm and a "phoenix disc" on his chest. Late one night, he meets a new neighbor, seventeen year old Clarisse, who is fascinated by him. She goes on to tell Montag the original nature and duty of a fireman. In disbelief, Montag finds Clarisse peculiar in her family interactions and strolls down the street. Such matters are illegal in this society, afterall. He becomes enthralled by her incredible power of identification, perceptive observances, and unorthodoxed lifestyle. To challenge Montag's character, Clarisse asks him if he is happy, and then, she disappears. This strikes his innermost, trembling thoughts...a real turning point in Montag's life.

Montag is not used to discussing personal matters and is disturbed by the scene that had just taken place. He finds his wife in bed, overdosed on sleeping pills and calls the hospital to replace her poison blood with fresh. A common symbol throughout the novel, blood represents repressed soul and instinctive self. The next morning, his wife Mildred denies her suicide attempt. Montag goes out for work, only to find Clarisse standing outside, catching raindrops in her mouth. One of my favorite parts of the book is when she tells Montag that one is in love if rubbing a dandlion under the chin leaves pollen behind. She tries it on Montag, yet, nothing is left behind. Clarisse can see Montag's embarrassment and states she must go to visit her psychiatrist because of her "lack of sociability" and "dangerous independent thought habits." After seeing her depart, Montag begins catching raindrops in his mouth.

After that fateful day, Montag begins visiting with Clarisse more and more outside after work. Montag begins challenging the ability and motive of a fireman more and more...he asks Captain Beatty about it. Beatty claims that in 1790, Benjamin Franklin imposed the fire department in hopes of ridding the country of English influence in literature. (This was odd to me...not exactly how I remembered history. But that's just my opinion.) In the next scene, the department is sent to a book burning in an old building. There, an old woman refuses to flee, and although Montag persuades her otherwise, she strikes a match, and the house goes up in flames with her.

That night, Montag tucked away a book from the fire...placing it in secret underneath his pillow. At this point, he hasn't encountered Clarisse in over four days. He askes Mildred about her, who then describes that Clarisse was hit by a car and killed. After the two argue much over personal issues, Captain Beatty arrives to check on Montag. He tells Montag that everyone goes through the "problem," challenging and relating to the history of the profession. During this part, to me, Beatty's monologue was difficult to follow. It was as if he were scatter-brained. He describes why reading became less popular -- due to photography, film, and television, making it possible to pressure for information in quick, digestible, visual forms. The spread of literacy grew in standard and competition. Also, "minorities" and special interest groups thought books were objectionable and wanted to abandon all debate. While straightening up the house, Mildred discovers Montag's hidden book and attempts to burn it. Montag begs her to embark on this journey with him for 48 hours, seeking through the books together, in hopes of finding something to share with others. 

The Sieve and the Sand

Montag continues to spend the afternoon reading...meanwhile he thinks of Clarisse and her uniqueness. Although Mildred refuses to speak of the dead, she continues with Montag in his search. He isn't finding the answers he had hoped for, sooooo -- he sets out to find a teacher. He calls Faber, a professor he once met in the park. With Faber, Montag learns that it is not books but the meaning they contain that provides happiness. People in this futuristic society are living on flowers instead of good substantive dirt (media vs. literature). People are unwilling to accept the true basic realities and unpleasant aspects of life. Montag promotes an idea to Faber -- to plant books in homes of firemen to discredit and demolish the profession. Faber disagrees with the suggestion at first. But Montag threatens Faber by tearing out pages of his Bible...to which Faber quickly agrees.

So far -- the book is very interesting, displaying themes of censorship and knowledge vs. ignorance. I can't wait to read on and learn what happens next. Stay tuned...

“Solitude began. I turned to God. I survived.”

Life of Pi 

A novel by Yann Martel

Part Two: The Pacific, Chapters 90-94

Part Three: Benito Juarez Infirmary, Tomatlan, Mexico, Chapters 95-100

At the close of the novel, Pi's transformation of innocent boy to courageous man shows his oneness and relationship with God. Although his condition continued to deteriorate, Richard Parker was there with him along the way. Both were gloom and doom, knowing hope was all they had to press on. Pi became convinced that he was near absolute death. And, as mentioned before, he came across a "French accent" he couldn't quite place. The voice spoke of beef and brains and all sorts of food that Pi found to be repulsing. He assumes the voice is just RP but soons finds out it is a castaway, old man, seeking food. Pi begins questioning the voice if he had ever killed someone. Yes -- a man and a woman. The two join boats when suddenly the man comes aboard to kill and cannabalize Pi...but, of course, RP comes to the rescue and kills the man. Pi weeps and washes his eyes out with seawater...and he is no longer blind!

The two come upon a low island. There, they nursed themselves back to health and fled to join the meercats. Pi stumbles upon a fruit tree but the fruit contains a middle with a TOOTH. Pi soon climbs back aboard and seeks better land opportunities.

The next destination -- the life boat washed ashore on a Mexican  beach. RP flees to the jungle immediately without saying goodbye.

Two officials, Totohiro Okamoto and Atsuro Chiba, from the Maritime Department in the Job Ministry of Transport are in California on unrelated business. They soon hear Pi has made it to the States. As they journey and venture out to go see him, they two get lost and take a forty-one hour trip...! They face several setbacks along the way but make it to interview Pi about his journey. The tape began recording on February 19, 1978.

An interesting way to keep the reader's attention, Martel uses great syntax and diction through the differnt font for the interview type. In chapter 97, his prompt and willingness showed in his "indoor" area. And first, in English, the men were very interested in Pi's story...but in Japanese, the men were in extreme disbelief. Through proving bananas can float and other instances like that, Pi showed his true colors of the love, charity, TOLERANCE, and GUILTY that entitles it. The book ends on a lighter note than expeced...I'd love to actually meet Pi to hear him recount his experiences from the novel.

"Suddenly, his brute strength meant only moral weakness. It was nothing compared to the strength in my mind..."

Life of Pi 

A novel by Yann Martel

Part Two: The Pacific, Chapters 56-89

 

"I had to tame him. It was at that moment that I realized this necessity. It was not a question of him or me, but of him and me. Most likely the worst would happen: the simple passage of time, in which his animal toughness would easily outlast my human frailty."

In my third posting on the novel, it's still hard to tell if I really like this story. It's interesting, to say the least. In the beginning of this portion of Pi's journey, tension is still on the rise between Richard Parker the tiger and Pi himself.

Pi pulls out the survivor manual he once found in the lifeboat. Curious, he delves into everything the book has to offer him through advice and tactics. He comes to the realization that he needs to handle two things: fishing and creating a shelter. Meanwhile, Richard Parker has clearly "marked" his territory. Pretty disgusting. To make matters worse -- Pi did the same and marked his own.

Here, I can see how Pi has begun to really become one with nature. His transformation is heavily displayed throughout this section. As he becomes one with natural life and the surrouding elements, he begins maintenance on the raft, water system, and shelter/lifeboat. He eats his rations and basks in the ocean and wildlife surrounding his world.

Lifelong, Pi has been a vegetarian and pacifist. That philosophy quickly goes down the drain...he kills a fish with his bare hands! Ewwwww.

By Chapter 62, it has been one week since the shipwreck. In the next few chapters, Pi has counted a total of 227 days as the lost, deserted seaman. Likewise, he has developed several every day chores and activities to stay busy and keep a routine. He feeds himself as well as Richard Parker, keeps the vessels clean and functioning properly, and stimulates his mind by praying, writing, and resting. In order to stay sane, Pi had to forget the notion of time completely...who wouldn't? After 227 days, I would definitely be in a panic.

Time passes and Pi's clothes deteriorate...causing sea boils from the wetness. Okay. Too. Much. Information. That is really disgusting.

He becomes better and better -- a natural, you could say -- at fishing. He learns to use a net and soon catches more fish than he is able to eat. Pi spends hours observing sea life...there isn't much else to do, after all.

 Pi sticks pretty closely to his survival guide. One piece of advice -- drink animal blood to quench the thirst. So -- Pi drank TURTLE blood. Ick. He begins thinking of his own survival guide -- of training and taming a wild creature in a lifeboat while at sea. Pi keeps a diary to recount the daily events, as well.

Here's what made me almost put the book down -- Both Pi and Richard Parker defecate once a month due to constipation and high protein dieting...once, Pi tried to EAT Richard Parker's feces. I draw the line there. That is absolutely repulsing.

Pi becomes almost too good and too natural when it comes to the wild. Whether catching a shark with his bare hands or wolfing down his food, Pi has transformed into an animal.

At the close of this section, Pi endures several storms at sea. Whether physically or emotionally, Pi has faced many trials and tribulations. A tanker -- rescue ship, Pi thought -- gave Pi false hope. Pi sent out a message in a bottle through the ocean. Defeated, Pi is just sure he is nearing death. His pen loses its ink. He begins sleeping more and more. And Pi eventually goes blind and faces delirium.

His crazy bizarre incident is a great indication of his delirium -- a French accent "voice" who turns out to be a cannibal. Okay, Pi...

The plot is interesting (that's an understatement), but who could come up with this stuff?! It's nuts...I can't wait to find out how he'll make it back to civilization. The question is -- will he be able to function in society ever again?

 

"How I had failed to notice for two and a half days a 450-pound Bengal tiger in a lifeboat twenty-six feet long was a conundrum I would have to try to crack later, when I had more energy."

Life of Pi 

A novel by Yann Martel

Part One: Toronto and Pondicherry, Chapters 30-36 

Part Two: The Pacific, Chapters 37-55

The next portion of the novel opens with Pi's religious philosophies and preferences...again. Surprised? As the point of view is switched back to Pi's narration, I saw that Pi was not just a Hindu or a Christian or a Muslim -- he was all three simultaneously! Priests nagged and begged for him to chose a faith. His reply was that he just wanted to love God. After much ridicule, especially from his brother Ravi, Pi says this: "People who act out in violence or anger in the name of God misunderstand the true nature of religion." Gosh, we should all have that 'mantra' ...right? Pick a religion and belief, sure -- but he has a point there. Pi also begins experimenting with prayer, through the excitement of the new prayer mat/rug he receives. He was then baptized.

The 1970s proved to be a difficult time for India. Yet these political adversities did not seem to have much of an affect on Pi. Nevertheless, Pi's father was troubled and decided to pack up the family and move westward -- to Canada, that is. 

In the next portion, the author briefly meets Pi's wife  Meena Patel. Later, he also comes in contact with Pi's two children: Nikhil and Usha, who is four. 

Pi and the family set sail for a new life on June 21, 1977 as they traveled into the unknown. But, leads in the story make me wonder and even believe Pi's story has a happy ending. 

Suddenly, the ship, Tsimtsum sinks! Pi makes it into the life boat as utter chaos and dysfunction erupts.

Enter Richard Parker, the Royal Bengal tiger. Pi saves him and let's him aboard. Has he gone mad?! Pi flashes back to occurrences of the Tsimtsum the night before. He encounters many trials through his memory. And soon, Pi is hopeless. It appears there are no other HUMAN survivors except for himself.

Enter the hyena, the zebra, and Orange Juice, the orangutan. Pi begins to think -- surely, help is on the way! He quickly realized there is not much of a boundary or barrier between him and the "others" -- those animals! Worried about the night events that would ensue, Pi cannot stop thinking of how uncomfortable he is around the hyena. 

Here comes the gruesome part -- the hyena EATS the zebra's already broken leg. Ewwwww. What a traumatic event to witness.  As Pi becomes devasted with defeat, he tells a sea turtle to go find help. Okay, since when did he become the animal whisperer? 

More disgusting details about animal brutality continued...the hyena atacked the zebra, eating it alive from its insides! OJ and the hyena face off. Pi just begins to grieve over his loss of his family. The hyena attackes and eventually decapitates OJ. 

We soon learn the reason Richard Parker is named Richard Parker and how he was captured to be taken to the Pondicherry Zoo. 

Pi is overcome with thirst, so...he goes to check out the rations. Here's my favorite part! The list....cannot get more thorough than that! I make lists for everything and loved reading something I could relate to. As he finishes tallying the supplies, Pi decides it is crucial for survival that he distance himself from Richard Parker. The tiger kills the hyena and turns to Pi next but gets distracted when Pi throws a rat at him. 

As Pi toys with plotting to kill RP, he ultimately decides to tame him instead. 

Although graphic, I really enjoyed this section...I felt like I knew Pi and connected with him so much more!

"If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams."

Life of Pi

A novel by Yann Martel

Author's Note, Part One: Toronto and Pondicherry, Chapters 1-29

Martel opens the novel by recounting his journey to the inspiration and completion of the story. By giving his own personal background, Martel writes himself into the text as an actual character (or at least it seemed that way to me). He proceeds with telling of his much needed trip to Bombay...here, he was in search of not only inspiration, but also of himself. He needed a fresh start, especially after the flop of his first two novels. So, on his second trip to India, Martel began to plan his next feature -- a novel about Portugal. Here, I was a bit perplexed. Why go to Bombay to clear your mind and prepare yourself to write about Portugal? Whatever. But, as I assumed would happen, his plan failed. Upon arriving to Pondicherry in south India, Martel encountered Francis Adirubasamy who would, little did he know, become the inspiration for Life of Pi.

In the opener of Part One, Pi is depicted as one who has suffered a great deal in life, leaving him dejected -- total gloom and doom. Why? I had no idea...yet. He then goes on to discuss his studious efforts in his educational aspects of religion and zoology. Randomly, he begins to describe slugs in grave detail. I almost put the book down at this point (or almost fell asleep!). I mean, who wants to hear about the slothful, lazy, indolent creatures??? But, I gave it another try and read on.

Pi misses India...that becomes apparent, but he also loves Canada. Sounds familiar, eh? He also describes missing a Richard Parker? No idea. And then randomly describes a hospital stay in Mexico, including listing his ailments and recovery efforts.

Suddenly, the point of view is switched to the author's. Martel describes Pi as a gray-headed, middle-aged, small man who runs his mouth but chooses his words wisely.

And then the focus switches again. Francis (mentioned in the Author's Note) is brought up when Pi describes his boyhood in India. Francis taught Pi how to swim, an important piece of knowledge, considering Pi was named after a pool.

Pi's father ran the zoo...ding, ding, ding. Here's where Pi's wildlife fascination must come in. He then describes his other passion in education -- religion...or lack thereof. Using his teacher, Mr. Satish Kumar an atheist communist, Pi dabbles into the experimentation of religion, belief systems, and other ideologies.

And then my stomach twisted in knots...Pi vividly describes in such gruesome detail of his father feeding a LIVE goat to a caged tiger. Somehow, this was supposed to teach Pi and his brother a lesson about the nature of the wild. But -- Pi soon realizes the most dangerous animal of all is the man. Pi describes and recognizes the behaviors of the wild -- territorial instincts, alpha male desire, and loyalty to the master.

Shifting again, Pi goes back to religion. Born into Hinduism, Pi embraces the philosophy: "That which sustains the universe beyond thought and language, and that which is at the core of us and struggles for expression, is the same thing." I'm not going to lie, I was perplexed when Pi stated that he would always be Hindu. Doesn't he keep a Bible on his night stand??? So, born into Hinduism, he became a Christian by age 14...and then a Muslim by age 15. This poor boy is so confused! As he delves deeper and deeper into religious philsophies, the author ponders more and more about Pi (or maybe his own) true beliefs.

So far, the book has been difficult to get into as it switches back and forth through religion and zoology. Nevertheless, it's a quick read (thus far) and keeps you interested (or maybe perplexed).



"I thought it would be easier if we were just one color, black or white. I didn't want to be white. My siblings had already instilled the notion of black pride in me. I would have preferred that Mommy were black. Now, as a grown man, I feel privileged to have come from two worlds."

James McBride's The Color of Water:

A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

Chapters 19-25, Epilogue, Afterword to the 10th Anniversary Edition, 

Thanks and Acknowledgments, About James McBride, 
About Ruth McBride Jordan 

In the closing portion of this coming-of-age memoir about race relations, Ruth begins by dictating her first stages of romance with McBride's father, Dennis of North Carolina. When she met Dennis's family, they were shocked (as anyone would be) of her opposite race but immediately welcomed her with open arms. Soon Mameh, Ruth's mother, becomes ill. Meanwhile, her father, Tateh, is having an affair! Scandalous for such a strict Jew, huh? Tateh leaves the store to his wife and children for long periods of time. Not long after his excursions with his mistress (a neighbor the family knew well, I might add!), Tateh asks Mameh for a divorce. But she refuses. This is what gained my respect for Mameh. I was also impressed with her generosity towards Ruth in her earlier years when she fled to live with her aunts. Eventually, Tateh gets his divorce in Reno, Nevada.

In Chapter 20, McBride takes a roadtrip to the South (Suffolk, Virginia) to visit his mother's past. At this point in McBride's life, he is at a point of indecision in his career. In turn, he faces confusion with his racial identity. In his journey to Suffolk, he sought to uncover the origins of his mother so that he could, in part, understand his own.

Ruth's tensions with her family become very apparent in Chapter 21 when her father basically tells her not to return home if she wishes to marry a colored man. Although I'm objective to interracial marriage (because I have no first-hand knowledge/experience or ties to the issue), it's sad to see the issue deteriorate a family bond. Ruth's mother dies in the Bronx hospital shortly after Ruth takes off. Guilt-stricken, Ruth feels remorse in abandoning her Mameh. Nevertheless, Ruth found strength in her love, Dennis, and her newfound affinity with Christianity.

Back to McBride: He locates the synagogue where Ruth and her family attended. There, McBride comes to terms with his Jewish roots. Loneliness enveloped as McBride walked the Nansemond River. The burden of his past was upon him, but he desired to embrace life and humanity all the same.

Harassment endured as Dennis and Ruth, an interracial couple, lived in 1940s Harlem. After living together for awhile, the couple attended the local baptist church and were soon married. Living in one room with four children for nine years, the couple grew closer and closer with each passing day. Times were tough. Money was tight. But love flourished. They soon established the New Brown Memorial Church in 1953. But in '57, Dennis became ill, leaving Ruth pregnant with their eighth child ---- James! Dennis died of lung cancer months later. Emotionally and financially unstable, Ruth looked to her generous community for help. She then married Hunter who promised to take care of her all the days of their lives. This portion of the book was bittersweet to me. As I watched the characters grow, I was in awe as I watched their lives grow spiritually. 

On several occasions, Ruth attests to the power of the word of God. If only women were as strong-willed and focused on Christ, right?! We could have many more amazing mothers in this country, raising their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Although mixed race kept haunting McBride which brought upon him identity crisis, McBride conveyed Ruth's upbringing of her children as her definition - her crowning accomplishment.

In the Epilogue, Ruth enters a synagogue for the first time since her childhood. Hesitant, Ruth soon realizes that Judaism has been a significant component of her heritage and she values it as she comes to terms with this virtue of her life.

I honestly thought --- this book is so not my thing. I'm too conservative to read about interracial marriages and what not. But I opened my mind and thoroughly enjoyed McBride's captivating tale of a black man's tribute to his white mother.