Description

From the bestselling author of *Deacon King Kong* and the National Book Award-winning *The Good Lord Bird* comes *The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother*, a modern classic that spent over two years on *The New York Times* bestseller list. Hailed by *Oprah.com* as one of the best memoirs of its generation, this powerful debut by journalist and musician James McBride explores his mother’s past alongside his own journey of self-discovery.

Ruth McBride Jordan, a self-described “light-skinned” woman, was fiercely devoted to her twelve Black children but remained secretive about her own heritage. The daughter of a failed itinerant Orthodox rabbi, she was born Rachel Shilsky (originally Ruchel Dwara Zylska) on April 1, 1921, in Poland. Her family fled to the United States to escape pogroms, eventually settling in Suffolk, Virginia—a town rife with racism and anti-Semitism. Ruth’s childhood was fraught with hardship: a loveless marriage between her parents, a frail and disabled mother, and a cruel, sexually-abusive father. At seventeen, she left Virginia for New York City, where she eventually married a Black minister and co-founded the all-Black New Brown Memorial Baptist Church right in her Red Hook, Brooklyn, living room.

James McBride grew up in the chaotic but disciplined world his mother created, surrounded by eleven siblings in the poverty-stricken projects of Red Hook. “Mommy,” as they called her, had dark, fiery eyes and an unshakable determination. She pushed her children toward education, sending them to the best (primarily Jewish) schools and exposing them to free cultural experiences in Manhattan. Ruth instilled in them the values of hard work and respect while dismissing racial divisions—teaching her children that “God is the color of water,” emphasizing that faith and morality transcend race.

Throughout the book, McBride weaves his mother’s extraordinary story with his own memories of growing up mixed-race, his struggles with identity, and his brushes with violence and drugs during his youth. It wasn’t until he reached thirty that he finally began uncovering the truth about his mother’s past and the pain she had long buried. Twice widowed, Ruth overcame immense adversity and racism, ensuring that all twelve of her children attended college, with many earning graduate degrees. At sixty-five, she achieved her own dream by earning a degree in social work from Temple University.

In *The Color of Water*, McBride paints a vivid and deeply personal portrait of his mother, capturing both her hardships and her unwavering strength. His memoir serves as a poignant exploration of race, identity, and resilience, offering a heartfelt tribute to the woman who shaped his life.