Summary
The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother is a powerful memoir by acclaimed author and musician James McBride. First published in 1995, the book explores themes of identity, race, and family through McBride's own experiences as a biracial child and the remarkable life story of his mother, Ruth McBride Jordan. Born Ruchel Dwara Zylska in Poland, Ruth was a defiant white Jewish woman who married a Black man and raised 12 children in Brooklyn's Red Hook projects. Her story of resilience, faith, and unwavering love for her family forms the emotional core of the book. Alternating between McBride's reflections and Ruth's first-person accounts, the memoir provides a multifaceted perspective on their shared history.
McBride’s exploration of his mother's past and his own struggles with identity resonated with readers across racial and cultural lines. The Color of Water has sold over 1.5 million copies, with translations into 16 languages, and been widely adopted in educational settings and book clubs. With its honest portrayal of complex family dynamics and nuanced examination of race in America, The Color of Water remains a relevant and thought-provoking read.
Plot
The Color of Water a memoir by James McBride that alternates between his own struggles growing up biracial and the remarkable life of his white Jewish mother, Ruth McBride Jordan. Born in Poland and raised in Virginia, Ruth fled her abusive father and moved to New York City at age 17. There, she married a Black minister and cofounded a Baptist church in Brooklyn.
McBride recounts growing up in a chaotic household with 11 siblings in the poor, predominantly Black projects of Red Hook. His mother, evasive about her own ethnicity, raised her children to value education and spirituality above racial identity. She sent them to the best schools possible and insisted on academic excellence.
The narrative shifts between McBride's experiences and his mother's compelling story. Ruth's chapters reveal her painful past, including her escape from Virginia, her estrangement from her Jewish family, and her struggles as a convert to Christianity in an interracial marriage. After her first husband's death, Ruth remarried and had four more children.
Throughout the book, McBride explores themes of race, identity, and family. He candidly discusses his own struggles with drugs and violence before achieving self-realization and professional success. The memoir serves as both a vivid portrait of McBride's upbringing and a touching tribute to his resilient, determined mother.
Themes
Identity and self-discovery
Race and racial prejudice
Family relationships and resilience
Religion and faith
Education and personal growth
Overcoming adversity
Cultural assimilation and heritage
Setting
James McBride’s memoir The Color of Water primarily takes place during two distinct eras. The story of Ruth, his mother, unfolds in the 1920s through the 1950s, while the author's own narrative spans from the 1960s to the 1990s. This dual timeline provides a compelling contrast between the racial tensions and societal norms of pre-Civil Rights America and the evolving landscape of the later 20th century.
Geographically, the memoir covers several key locations. Ruth's early life is set in Suffolk, Virginia, a small Southern town where anti-Semitism and racial prejudice were prevalent. The narrative then shifts to New York City, specifically the borough of Brooklyn, where James grows up in the predominantly Black neighborhood of Red Hook. This urban setting becomes the backdrop for much of James's coming-of-age story.
Within these broader geographical contexts, specific places take on significant meaning. The New Brown Memorial Baptist Church, founded by Ruth and her first husband in their Red Hook living room, serves as a spiritual anchor for the family. Additionally, James's occasional visits to his relatives in North Carolina and his time in Wilmington, Delaware, during his teen years provide further insight into the diverse experiences that shaped his understanding of race and identity in America.
Key Figures
James McBride: The author and narrator. The eighth of 12 children born to Ruth McBride Jordan, James struggles with his biracial identity growing up and explores his family history to better understand himself and his mother. He becomes a successful journalist and musician despite early challenges.
Ruth McBride Jordan: James's mother, a white Jewish woman. Born in Poland, she immigrated to America as a child, fled an abusive home as a teen, and married a Black man, converting to Christianity, as a young adult. Ruth raised 12 children in Brooklyn and instilled in them the values of education, hard work, and faith. Her complex past and resilience form the heart of the story.
Andrew Dennis McBride: James's biological father and Ruth's first husband. A kind and caring Baptist minister who died of lung cancer before James was born. His death had a profound impact on Ruth and the family.
Hunter Jordan: Ruth's second husband and James's stepfather. A furnace fireman who helped raise Ruth's children and fathered four more with her. He provided stability for the family until his death when James was 14.
Fishel Shilsky (Tateh): Ruth's abusive father. An Orthodox rabbi who immigrated from Poland and ran a store in Virginia. His cruelty and racism deeply affected Ruth's childhood and her decision to leave her family behind.
Hudis Shilsky (Mameh): Ruth's mother. A kind but physically disabled woman who was unable to protect Ruth from her father's abuse. Her unhappy life and early death had a lasting impact on Ruth.
Sam and Dee-Dee Shilsky: Ruth's siblings. Sam ran away at 15 and later died in World War II. Dee-Dee was Ruth's younger sister, with whom she had a complicated relationship after leaving home.
Peter: Ruth's first boyfriend in Virginia. Their relationship and Ruth's pregnancy by him precipitated her flight to New York.
Quick facts
James McBride is one of 12 biracial children raised by his white mother, Ruth McBride Jordan.
The Color of Water alternates between the author’s coming-of-age story and Ruth's life story.
The memoir’s title comes from Ruth's statement to her children, “God is the color of water."
Ruth was born Ruchel Dwara Zylska in Poland in 1921.
Ruth converted from Judaism to Christianity after marrying James's father, a Black Baptist minister.
The Color of Water spent over two years on The New York Times bestseller list.
The memoir has been translated into 16 different languages and sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.
The Color of Water won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Literary Excellence in 1997.
Ruth earned a degree in social work from Temple University at age 65.
About the Author
James McBride (1957-) is an acclaimed American author, journalist, and musician. Born in New York City, he grew up in Brooklyn's Red Hook housing projects. McBride's unique background, with an African-American father and Jewish immigrant mother, deeply influenced his writing. He holds degrees from Oberlin College and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
McBride's breakthrough came with his 1995 memoir The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, which spent over two years on The New York Times bestseller list and sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. He went on to write acclaimed novels, including Miracle at St. Anna, Song Yet Sung, the National Book Award-winning The Good Lord Bird. and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store.
As a journalist, McBride has worked for several major publications, including The Washington Post and People. As a musician, he has composed for notable artists and toured as a saxophonist. He has also ventured into screenwriting, collaborating with filmmaker Spike Lee on projects including Red Hook Summer and the adaptation of his own novel, Miracle at St. Anna.
McBride's contributions to literature and the arts have earned him numerous accolades, including the National Humanities Medal awarded by President Barack Obama in 2015. Currently, McBride serves as a Distinguished Writer-in-Residence at New York University, balancing his academic role with his ongoing creative pursuits.
