More than I Imagined

What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew

By: John Blake

Narrated by: John Blake

An award-winning journalist tells the “riveting” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) story of his quest to reconcile with his white mother and the family he’d never met—and how faith brought them all together.

“A compelling and courageous journey that bears witness to the realities of systemic racism, the complexity of identity within that system, and the possibilities of reconciliation.”—Robin DiAngelo, New York Times bestselling author of White Fragility

WINNER: The Christopher Award; The Illumination Award; The Nonfiction Book Award; Georgia Center’s “A Book All Georgians Should Read”; The Nautilus Award; Georgia Author of the Year Award

John Blake grew up in a notorious Black neighborhood in inner-city Baltimore that became the setting for the HBO series The Wire. There he became a self-described “closeted biracial person,” hostile toward white people while hiding the truth of his mother’s race. The son of a Black man and a white woman who met when interracial marriage was still illegal, Blake knew this much about his mother: She vanished from his life not long after his birth, and her family rejected him because of his race.

But at the age of seventeen, Blake had a surprise encounter that uncovered a disturbing family secret. This launched him on a quest to reconcile with his white family. His search centered on two questions: “Where is my mother?” and “Where do I belong?” More Than I Imagined is Blake’s propulsive true story about how he answered those questions with the help of an interracial church, a loving caregiver’s sacrifice, and an inexplicable childhood encounter that taught him the importance of forgiveness.

Blake covered some of the biggest stories about race in America for twenty-five years before realizing that “facts don’t change people, relationships do.” He owes this discovery to “radical integration,” which was the only way forward for him and his family—and is the only way forward for America as a multiracial democracy. More Than I Imagined is a hopeful story for our difficult times.

Praise for More Than I Imagined

“An incredibly moving memoir that both examines and complicates our understanding of race in America today, More Than I Imagined is overflowing with empathy and full of humanity.”—Clint Smith, New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed

“This is a book of gutsy hope and not of despair, of reconciliation and not of hatred. Both sides of the racial divide need the voice that Blake is uniquely qualified to offer.”—Philip Yancey, author of What’s So Amazing About Grace?

©2023 John Blake (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“This memoir surprised me over and over again. John Blake’s life reads like a thriller but, like his reporting at CNN, is packed with pockets of compassion and wisdom.”—Ibram X. Kendi, #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist

“More Than I Imagined is a powerful chronicle of John Blake’s journey that lays out a clear path toward racial healing—not just for his own family but the entire United States.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“More Than I Imagined testifies to the deepest truth that America cannot change unless Americans change. John Blake’s tender, powerful reckoning with his family’s history, secrets, myths, and divisions shows how we as a country can find a pathway to wholeness.”—Eric Liu, author of Become America

Vulnerability

Mr. Blake expressed his most intimate thoughts of how society fills our heads with ideoisms of race and racism. The line that said you should forgive your neighbor, while he harbored unforgiveness towards his aunt standing waiting for him to speak to her. I felt I traveled the road with him until he found the answers to the questions the boy on him needed to live forgiven and free.

Should be required reading!

John’s story is powerful! His insights are raw, honest and thoughtful. I appreciate his take on the state of race relations in our country.

Read this book!

We can never stop learning about life and racism - this is a beautifully written book about the author’s life of struggles and victories and everything in between. I learned a lot and found a new perspective on some things.
I’m not always a fan of author’s reading their own books, but this hit the spot.

Good life story illustrating race issues

This is the life story of the author, it presents in itself a lot of the racial issues in the US. As such, it shines.

The telling is good, but mid course it veers off a little into religion and some parts I could not tell if they were allegory or tried to pass as real events. This detracts a little from the whole because you wonder if previous parts can still be taken at face value.

Still, a good and important book.

Great read/listen

This really made me think about the connections I have in my life and the need to further diversify

A Must Read/Listen!

John Blake is a talented writer with a gift for storytelling. Listening to his voice via audiobook made the story come alive for me. John speaks from his heart as he shares how he processed and was able to learn and grow from family life experiences with racism, mental illness, faith, bias issues and finally forgiveness. The relationship building that John Blake has done over his lifetime is a blueprint for reducing racism in our society. Great read. Excellent book.

Authenticity of story

Loved that the story is more than meets the eye. About life, love and faith.

Walking in someone else’s shoes

I learned that relationships are work. Work on ourselves and on each other. They are not easy but don’t give up on them. And take them even if your not ready for them. Also there is more I can work on in my life. Get into the mix. Start fellowships in a safe friendly place like church and around food. Be humble, kind, excepting and open. I shared a few things with the author like a mom with mental illness, not having a close friend of another color, the need for a relationship with our Lord Jesus. The one with kind eyes and rather plain Jewish features. There are many more things I do not have in common with the author. That of Black. I’m not out going or Black. I’m a shy introvert white lady and have a few close friends. I’m happier alone with my art. I like my own company and hate conflict. I can painted people of color and found I love faces. But that’s me not the book.
I like the way the authors mind works. Having a seeking heart for wisdom, truth, honesty and hope. A visit from a ghost can happen and did. The weird part is why? A risk taker. Finding away to bring us all together as one people. I think his on to something about a shared love, goal and passion for understanding one another on this planet. Bring it all out into the light.
The bad in white peoples and black. The greatness in black peoples and white. White people need not fear. Change is needed and necessary. I pray it’s for the better. No more loss of any life of any color. I’m open to learning more and open to sharing this book to other white people I know.

5 stars!! Must Read

John Blake is fantastic! I literally inhaled this book! I couldn’t put it down. Must read/ listen! 5 stars!

Beautiful and Inspiring - highly recommend

More Than I Imagined is engaging and beautiful, powerful and inspiring. John Blake had many opportunities throughout his life to grow angry, bitter, resentful, and to blame others for his circumstances. And few people would blame him if he had. But that is not what this story is about. Although some of the details of John's childhood are difficult to hear, his honest description gives the reader a better understanding of the challenges he faced and a greater appreciation of the fact that he even survived. His is a story that is interwoven with the pain of racism, unanswered questions, and doubts. But also courage, strong and sacrificial love, persistence, and ultimately forgiveness. While his spiritual journey is not the focus of the book, I found it to be one of the beautiful aspects of his narrative. In the midst of the painful things he experienced and witnessed, over time his life starts to reveal a slow but Divine redeeming - not only of his heart and relationships, but of others too. I was moved by his ability to see others in a new light, despite all he has lived through. I have read a number of biographies and I found myself thinking about this one again and again.

I listened to the book on Audible and I'm so glad that I did! John narrates it in his own voice, which makes it all the more powerful and poignant. As a listener, I felt like I was in a conversation with him, being introduced to his family and hearing his life story. I am so glad that he is willing to share both his life and his gift of writing with others!