The Color of Water: Part one

The color of water describes both McBride's and his mother's child hood. Both grew up in situations people would not want to be with. McBride lived in a small, crowded house with his mother and ELEVEN other children. His mother tried to raise him to be independent and to never share his business with anybody in the world except his family. I think this idea she had was to try and protect her kids from the dangers in the world that she experienced. She grew up in Europe and was persecuted by Russians and other nations and was constantly fleeing from any and all persecutors. McBride’s mother grew up constantly following her elders’ order and never questioned them. She then expected her children to do the same with her orders, follow, and never ask. His mother not only endured a harsh early life, but some horrors happened to her later on in her life, she lost her first and second husband. I don’t fully understand his mother’s stand on religion. At first he writes that she was raised Jewish but stopped being Jewish because of all the rules. Then later he talks about his mother having a strong connection to God and that they attended church every Sunday. Did she go from being Jewish to go to being Christian or what? Overall I liked the first part of the book. It seems better then King’s On Writing, but I still have much more to read.