Black, White & Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self

by Rebecca Walker

Book Overview

The Civil Rights movement brought author Alice Walker and lawyer Mel Leventhal together, and in 1969 their daughter, Rebecca, was born. Some saw this unusual copper-colored girl as an outrage or an... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573229075
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Riverhead Books
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.8" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

Interestingly-written memoir!

This was a very interestingly-written memoir. Artistic, emotional, and a little abstract, the author focuses more on how details tasted and smelled than a clear timeline, which I enjoyed. It had a lot of interesting insights and I got a lot from it. :)

A Rare Voice and an Insightful Many Fold Perspective....

Black White Jewish changed my life. It finally allowed my experiences as a bi-racial person a landing place and a sense of validity. Rebecca Walker is one of a very small handful of writers that has had the opportunity to be a voice for bi-racial people. It is a daunting task to be a voice for such a multifaceted colorful bunch, but she has stepped into this role fully with depth and grace. BWJ gives a much-needed voice to the ever-expanding population of bi-racial people in this world. As time goes on the mixing becomes more complex than just black or white, but for anyone with an open mind and curiosity about what it is like to live this experience, this is the book! Not only does Rebecca Walker masterfully depict and explore the duality that so many of bi-racial folk must learn and live, she manages to also send the reader on a vivid flashback rollercoaster ride into being a child of the eighties. This is a bonus and a worthwhile one. As a woman Rebecca zeroes in on so many of the universal issues that continue to plague generation after generation of young women. From sex and sexuality and losing her virginity, to abortion to the conundrum of relationships Rebecca writes with sincerity and candor. Again, as a mixed person I found myself over and over in the pages of this book, the writing is so insightful. I saw Rebecca read from this book at In Other Words a small bookstore in Portland, Oregon a couple years ago and I was immediately drawn in. I dog-eared countless pages in this book and it is one I refuse to lend out- encouraging all those who are curious to purchase a copy for their own reference. When my fiancée struggled to understand my perspective on life and personality once, I told him to read this book. Not only was he unable to put the book down he agreed with me when I told him that somehow, my perspective landed in the pages of the book. Since reading BWJ he has a renewed understanding and sense of appreciation for who I am. This is so valuable to anyone who is involved with a bi-racial person or plans on raising one. From a heartfelt place I must say that reading this book was like a long reminiscing conversation with an older sister. Revisiting old memories, trying to understand the influences of our parents, our peers, the times, and the cultures and cities we were raised in. While the details are different for each of us, the themes will undoubtedly resonate with any bi-racial person- making this a classic literary piece on this topic. I could go on and on and never have enough words to sing praises for this book.

Embrace the challenge

I was shocked and appalled to read some of the harsh reviews of Black, White and Jewish. I read this book twice in a row because I had never read anything that I connected to as much as this book. This is not because I had the same experiences as Rebecca, it is because I felt I knew her as a biracial person. This book is personal, challenging, and sometimes shocking. But it is also her life. I think she did a beautiful job describing her experience as a young biracial woman, who was finding her way in an equally complex world.

Not just for people of mixed races..

I don't purport to be a critic of any kind, however upon reading this book, I felt a sort of indescribable urgency to express my opinion on it.. I loved it. I read it in 3 sittings and that's rare considering my hectic schedule. But I must say, that as I read chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph, I could relate to so much of this book.. but I am not of mixed heritage. I am, however, a product of having been raised in two totally different cultures, and I'm talking east vs. west. To this day, I still deal with the rigors of being one way in one place and another way in another place.. when in Rome is appropriate, I guess. This book, aside from the intelligence and thoughtfulness with which it was written, was extremely therapeutic for me to read. In the end, I found myself feeling as though I had gone through those experiences myself, and some of them, I indeed have. I found myself wanting to read more. But you couldn't ask for a better ending, and in my opinion, Ms. Walker's last words are definitely words to live by, whether you are of mixed heritage or not. It is the love for the human race that is above and beyond the most important of all. As idealistic as that may sound, I found courage in my own ways of thinking, because now I know that I'm not the only one.. As I read the last few pages, particularly the one where Ms. Walker responds to a question from her lover (in that chapter her lover asks her if she 'feels' black or white and if she 'feels' for her people and their struggle) I felt chills go down my spine... because in all honesty, I couldn't have said it better myself. It's a must read... truly. I even had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Walker in Chicago and listening to her read passages from her book. If she's touring in your city, please go see her, it will definitely be worth your while. As a side note, it happens to be my personal belief that most of the people that have given the book bad reviews probably didn't understand where she was coming from at all, hence their misguided and accusatory comments. It takes an open mind to read a book like this...