The Color of Water

The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother — the modern classic that launched James McBride’s literary career and spent over two years on The New York Times bestseller list — is a moving exploration of race, identity, and family.

In this powerful memoir, McBride tells the story of his mother, Ruth McBride Jordan, a determined, “light-skinned” woman who raised twelve Black children in Brooklyn while keeping her own Jewish heritage secret. Born Ruchel Dwara Zylska in Poland to an Orthodox rabbi, Ruth fled an abusive home in the American South and rebuilt her life in New York City, marrying a Black minister and founding the New Brown Memorial Baptist Church in their Red Hook living room.

Through Ruth’s spirited voice and McBride’s reflections, the book traces a remarkable journey of faith, resilience, and unconditional love. Interwoven with his own story of growing up mixed-race in poverty, McBride delivers a heartfelt meditation on race, belonging, and the power of a mother’s belief that “God is the color of water.”