Major Characters
He is the oldest brother who is very successful.
Who is Dennis?
“Her grits tasted like sand and butter, with big lumps inside that caught in your teeth and suck in your gums.”
What is a simile?
What is a rabbi?
The reason why Ruth was disowned by her family.
for marrying a black man.
He was killed in the Army during World War II.
Who is Sam?
She was disowned by her family for marrying a black man.
Who is Ruth McBride?
This object symbolizes Ruth's uniqueness and her quirky personality.
What is the bicycle?
Foods that meet Jewish dietary laws
Kosher
The reason James punched a young boy in the face.
His father was a Black Panther
She had polio and was very meek and kind.
Who is Mameh?
He is confused about his identity due to being multiracial.
Who is James McBride?
The genre of the novel.
What is a memoir?
The official language of Israel
What is Hebrew?
The reason why Helen dropped out of school
The white man's education was not for her
He fought for civil liberties for people of color, but believed this could be achieved through violence and aggression.
Who is Malcolm X?
Mommy whooped her for ditching school.
Who is Helen?
This is the point of view in the novel.
What is first person?
A language that was spoken by Jews for over a thousand years.
What is Yiddish?
This is where Ruth grew up
Suffolk, Virginia
As a child Ruth was close to this person because her and her family accepted Ruth and made her feel welcome, despite being Jewish.
Who is Frances?
He is cruel and "hard as a rock."
Who is Tateh
"The moccasins were so big my feet squished and squeaked in them, like they'd been plunged in a bucket of water."
What is a simile?
A holy day of religious abstinence from work, kept by Jewish people.
What is the Sabbath?
This is what Ruth is panicked about at the end of chapter 11.
She is pregnant by Peter who is black.
She is Ruth's younger sister.
Who is Dee-Dee?
Who is Richie?
"God is the color of water. Water doesn't have a color."
What is a metaphor?
A week-long period of mourning in Judaism for the death of a relative.
What is sitting Shiva?
How Ruth responds to remarks and stares by people when her and her children are out in public.
She completely ignores it.
He was the first black person with whom Ruth was genuinely close.
Who is Peter?