The Color of Water

A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

By: James McBride

Narrated by: JD Jackson, Susan Denaker

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's Summary

The New York Times best-selling story from the author of The Good Lord Bird, winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction.

Who is Ruth McBride Jordan? A self-declared "light-skinned" woman evasive about her ethnicity, yet steadfast in her love for her 12 Black children. James McBride, journalist, musician, and son, explores his mother's past, as well as his own upbringing and heritage, in a poignant and powerful debut, The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother. The son of a Black minister and a woman who would not admit she was White, James McBride grew up in "orchestrated chaos" with his 11 siblings in the poor, all-Black projects of Red Hook, Brooklyn. 

In The Color of Water, McBride retraces his mother's footsteps and, through her searing and spirited voice, recreates her remarkable story. The daughter of a failed itinerant Orthodox rabbi, she was born Rachel Shilsky (actually Ruchel Dwara Zylska) in Poland on April 1, 1921. Fleeing pogroms, her family emigrated to America and ultimately settled in Suffolk, Virginia, a small town where anti-Semitism and racial tensions ran high. At 17, after fleeing Virginia and settling in New York City, Ruth married a Black minister and founded the all-Black New Brown Memorial Baptist Church in her Red Hook living room. "God is the color of water", Ruth McBride taught her children, firmly convinced that life's blessings and life's values transcend race. 

Interspersed throughout his mother's compelling narrative, McBride shares candid recollections of his own experiences as a mixed-race child of poverty, his flirtations with drugs and violence, and his eventual self-realization and professional success. The Color of Water touches listeners of all colors as a vivid portrait of growing up, a haunting meditation on race and identity, and a lyrical valentine to a mother from her son. 

©2014 James McBride (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"[A] triumph." (The New York Times Book Review)

"As lively as a novel, a well-written, thoughtful contribution to the literature on race." (The Washington Post Book World) 

"Inspiring." (Glamour) 

Awesome

The narration is awesome and deserves a 6. The characterization was outstanding, consistent and powerful.

This is the best pro-religion novel I have ever read. I am not religious myself, but I am not a bit anti-religious. I think religion is absolutely fantastic for some people. This novel expresses this pro-religion message perfectly. The color of God is the Color of Water. The novel is refreshingly Pro. Pro-Christian, Pro-Jew, Pro-Black, Pro-White, Pro-Family, Pro-Choice, Pro-Work, Pro-Play, Pro-Pro. I laughed many times, and teared up a few, and left the book entirely satisfied. Some describe this novel as a tribute the author's his mother. If I had seen that before I read this, it might have put me off (thinking it would be sappy). This was not sappy.

I loved the structure of this novel, I loved the pacing and flow, I loved the subtlety, I loved the narration, I loved the interweaving stories, I loved the characters, I loved the ambiguity, I even loved the length. I loved the end.

Few books resonate with me so strongly. My life was very different than the author's, my mother quite different than his, but almost every word of this novel resonated with me and my own life.

There are relatively few novels I would recommend to anyone. This is one of those. I am a very critical reader. I seldom finish a book without feeling there was something that could have been better. This was, for me, perfect. It is not the best book I have ever read, not even close. Yet for this story it was perfect.

My all time favorite book.

I had to read this book for my AP English summer reading. At first I was t excited about having to read a book I didn't pick out for the summer. Yet, after reading, listening, and re-listening to this book I'm so glad I did. There's so many things you don't catch the first or even second time you read or listen to this book. Truly one of my favorites.

A Soul Divided

A black woman in white body...... this story is mesmerized and awakening. Being mixed, not knowing what side to fling too. Living in a world that considers the color of your skin, a political statement. The white man's world isn't as free as it looks. Class, luck, religion, all factors in as well. Racism is taught, but once you know it's wrong it's up to you to act on it, unlearn it. Ruth did just that, growing up in a Jewish household, with a racist father and a handicapped mother. She left home and never returned, married a black man, well 2 black men, had 12 kids, converted to christianity. She faced scrutiny from blacks and whites, yet was excepted by the blacks and disowned the whites and was regarded as dead by her own blood, her family. James, was going through life trying to figure out who he was and what he wanted to do, write or be a musician. He quit job, after job, even though successful to find himself, but he had to find out who his mother was. Ultimately finding out that she was white, that her name wasn't ruth, nor Rachel. While finding himself, he found out about his mother, her truths. Recently losing my grandmother, this story made me have all the feels. Ruth reminded me of my granny and included all of her feistiness, no nonsense and gumption. Thanks for sharing your mother and love. #book16of2019 #whatsnext #bookworm

What a great book to listen to!

The narrators make this amazing book even better. Run, don't walk to listen! One of the best books I've come across in a long time.

The heart of the son, the heart of the mother

This should be a must read for all of us who have inherited race, religion, skin color, gender, immigrant status, and the privilege or lack thereof that come with each. This book is a personal exploration and family love story that navigates them all with the complexity and sincerity deserving of the American expedience.

Beautiful Human Race Heritage

I enjoyed this book a great deal because of the emphasis it places on family and importance of family! It also allowed me to reflect on the mixed race heritage of my own family. I would recommend this book to anyone who considers themselves a part of the human race and sees themselves also as "the color of water."

AMAZING

This book was really good with audible and I highly recommend it ! This book was great!

Good Narration

I loved this book when it came out years ago and was excited about hearing it. Narrators great, but different characters sound the same. It was hard to tell who was speaking. Also narrator (man) not that great with female voices. But overall enjoyable listen.

Fantastic story

Wonderful true story. So inspiring by its profound humanity. Great performance with voice changes for every character. Loved every minute of it and recommend it highly.

5 Stars

Great listen!! Narrator and story kept me engaged. Thank you to the McBride's and Jordan's for sharing their story.

Very interesting book

Very interesting book, involving and thought provoking. Such a corageous women. She was so much ahead of her times.

Insightful tribute to the mother of a mixed race child

Powerfully rendered examination of what it means to have grown up of mixed heritage in 70’s NYC and what it cost his mother to by cut off by her Jewish family. Above all it’s about the power of love between a mother and her children and a woman and her god. Really beautiful book.