Plot Summary

Black, White, and Jewish

Rebecca Walker
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Black, White, and Jewish

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2000

Book Brief

Rebecca Walker

Black, White, and Jewish

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2000
Book Details
Pages

322

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

United States • 1970s-1980s

Publication Year

2000

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self by Rebecca Walker is a 2002 memoir in which Walker examines her tumultuous transition from adolescence to adulthood. The daughter of famed novelist Alice Walker and Jewish lawyer Mel Leventhal, she recounts life between her two distinct families in New York and San Francisco, reflecting on her fragmented identity. Throughout, Walker grapples with race and belonging, moving between diverse social circles and striving to reconcile her African-American and Jewish heritages. Sensitive topics include substance use and abortion.

Contemplative

Emotional

Melancholic

Nostalgic

Inspirational

Reviews & Readership

4.0

3,155 ratings

65%

Loved it

26%

Mixed feelings

9%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Rebecca Walker's Black, White, and Jewish is praised for its raw and honest portrayal of her biracial and bicultural identity in America. Readers appreciate her poetic prose and deep introspection, although some find the narrative disjointed and occasionally lacking in broader contextual analysis. Nonetheless, it remains a compelling and thought-provoking memoir.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Black, White, and Jewish?

Readers who enjoy memoirs that explore themes of identity, race, and family, such as Trevor Noah's Born a Crime or Tara Westover's Educated, will be captivated by Rebecca Walker's Black, White, and Jewish. This memoir delves into Walker's experiences growing up biracial and navigating complex cultural landscapes.

4.0

3,155 ratings

65%

Loved it

26%

Mixed feelings

9%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

322

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

United States • 1970s-1980s

Publication Year

2000

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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