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The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
 
 
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The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother (Paperback)

by James McBride (Author) "I'm dead..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Aunt Mary, North Carolina (more...)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (593 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Order this book ... and please don't be put off by its pallid subtitle, A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, which doesn't begin to do justice to the utterly unique and moving story contained within. The Color of Water tells the remarkable story of Ruth McBride Jordan, the two good men she married, and the 12 good children she raised. Jordan, born Rachel Shilsky, a Polish Jew, immigrated to America soon after birth; as an adult she moved to New York City, leaving her family and faith behind in Virginia. Jordan met and married a black man, making her isolation even more profound. The book is a success story, a testament to one woman's true heart, solid values, and indomitable will. Ruth Jordan battled not only racism but also poverty to raise her children and, despite being sorely tested, never wavered. In telling her story--along with her son's--The Color of Water addresses racial identity with compassion, insight, and realism. It is, in a word, inspiring, and you will finish it with unalloyed admiration for a flawed but remarkable individual. And, perhaps, a little more faith in us all.

From Library Journal
The need to clarify his racial identity prompted the author to penetrate his veiled and troubled family history. Ruth McBride Jordan concealed her former life as Rachel Deborah Shilsky, the daughter of an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, from her children. Her grim upbringing in an abusive environment is left behind when she moves to Harlem, marries a black man, converts to Christianity, and cofounds a Baptist congregation with her husband. The courage and tenacity shown by this twice-widowed mother who manages to raise 12 children, all of whom go on to successful careers, are remarkable. The intertwined accounts, told alternately by mother and son, are enhanced by the gifted voices of readers Andre Braugher and Lainie Kazan. Highly recommended for public libraries.
Linda Bredengerd, Univ. of Pittsburgh Lib., Bradford, Pa.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Riverhead Trade (February 1, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1573225789
  • ISBN-13: 978-1573225786
  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (593 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,117 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #27 in  Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Discrimination & Racism
    #40 in  Books > History > United States > African Americans
    #72 in  Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Special Groups > African-American Studies

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
I'm dead. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Aunt Mary, North Carolina, New Brown, Chicken Man, Red Hook, New Jersey, Aunt Betts, Big Richard, Main Street, Old Man Shilsky, Seventh Avenue, Uncle Jim, Aunt Candis, Black Panther, Columbia University, Jackie Robinson, Aunt Laura, Frances Moody, Jesus Christ, Oberlin College, Old Testament, Small's Paradise, Suffolk High, Aubrey Rubenstein
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The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother 4.4 out of 5 stars (593)
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Customer Reviews

593 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (593 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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84 of 86 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A TRIBUTE TO MOM..., July 13, 2003
By Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)      
This book is, indeed, a tribute to the author's mother. In it, the author, a man whose mother was white and his father black, tells two stories: that of his mother and his own. Tautly written in spare, clear prose, it is a wonderful story of a bi-racial family who succeeded and achieved the American dream, despite the societal obstacles placed in its way.

The author's mother was a Polish Orthodox Jew who migrated to America at the age of two with her family during the early nineteen twenties. They ultimately settled down in Virginia, where she led an isolated and lonely life; shunned by whites because she was Jewish and shunned by blacks because she was white. She was raised in a predominantly black neighborhood, where her father, a despicable and harsh man who brutalized his handicapped wife, ran a local grocery store, where he priced gouged his black clientele.

She left home and moved to New York when she was nineteen and never looked back. She met and married the author's father, a black man, when mixed race marriages were still frowned upon by both whites and blacks. Still, she always felt more comfortable around blacks than around whites. When he died sixteen years later, she married another black man who nurtured her eight children by the author's father and proceeded to give her four more children.

The author tells of his childhood, of his family, and of the issue of race that ultimately colored his life while growing up in predominantly black neighborhoods, where his mother stood out like a sore thumb because of the color of her skin. It was always an issue his mother avoided discussing with him, as for her it was not an issue. It was not until the author wrote this book that his mother discussed the issue of race within the context of her own life. From this dialogue emerges a fascinating look at the issues of race, as well as religion, and how it impacts on an individual's identity within our race conscious society.

It is also a very personal story. While the author's family was economically disadvantaged, his eccentric and independent mother always stressed education. She was a strict disciplinarian who brooked no nonsense from her twelve children. A convert to Christianity through her first husband, with whom she founded a Baptist church, she provided her children with the will to succeed. Consequently, all twelve eventually went to college and did her proud.

The story of this unique family is told from two distinct, parallel perspectives: that of the author and that of his mother. While both are interesting, it is his mother's story that dominates this beautifully written book, which is, indeed, a tribute to her. It is truly a story told from the heart, as the love that the author has for his mother is evident with every written word.
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35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A moving portrayal of a memorable family, April 28, 2002
James McBride gives us a wonderful memoir of himself and his mother, a Polish immigrant and Orthodox Jew, a daughter of a tyrannical rabbi father and timid, crippled mother, who dared to ask for something more of this life. Yet in doing so, Ruth McBride Jordan, nee Rachel Shilsky crossed what was once, and for some still is, an uncrossable barrier: she married not one, but two, black men, converting to Christianity along the way. She lost her Jewish family and isolated herself from both whites and, to a lesser extent, blacks, but raised 12 children who all became college-educated professionals.

This is not a portrait of a saint, either mother or son. But both can forgive the other, something that Ruth's Jewish family cannot do. (That, by the way, should not be seen as representative of all Jews; indeed, the epilogue shows a moving scene in which James McBride gets in touch with his Jewish side in a very positive way. Many Jewish people are caring and understanding and not at all prejudice against blacks. Ruth's family wasn't among them.) Anyway, that these are not saints make the people more human, more believeable, more loveable. And by reading it, maybe we would become more accepting of families that don't look like our own. (Though I have to confess, I might be a little worried if a family with 12 kids moved in next door, regardless of the racial makeup! :-) )

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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational Reading, August 5, 2000
By Chad Spivak (North Miami Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews
I just finished reading it for the second time (first time was when it was a new release), and I still can't get over how much this book touched me. This book is one incredibly moving memoir.

The Color of Water is a black man's tribute to his white Jewish mother. I really enjoyed hearing Ruth McBride Jordan's amazing story. Through the telling of her life, we learn a great deal about the the author, James McBride, as well.

We read through Ruth's story, feeling her anguish in hard times. We fight with her to put twelve children through college, and we lend our hearts out to her in hopes of easing her job of instilling proper values in her children. McBride did an excellent job of bringing the reader directly into this unforgettable story, allowing us to feel the emotion.

The book's format was quite interesting as well, alternating chapters from the mother's point of view to that of his. The Color of Water was just an all-around well written book, and a joy to read. Please read this powerful, uplifting memoir. You'll enjoy it.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars what a waste of time!
I found it odd that McBride felt the need to arbitrarily state the race of every character in the book, given the title. Read more
Published 8 days ago by A. Foust

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching story of multi-race parent/child
This is a very well written book that incorporates 2 lives, mother and son and what it was like to live in a black community with a white mom. Read more
Published 19 days ago by Laura Cochran

5.0 out of 5 stars A moving memoir about the love between a boy and his mother
I could not put this book down once I started reading it. Being biracial myself, I found McBride's accounts of having complex feelings about being a black boy raised by a... Read more
Published 23 days ago

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent audiobook
I want to say that Andre Braugher's reading of this only enhances the beauty of the prose. Even if you've read the book, you may enjoy listening to it. I loved it!
Published 1 month ago by L. Lombardi

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating tale!
What a remarkable, fascinating and inspiring tale of love and faith. An African-American man seeks to unravel his Jewish mother's past. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mansura Minhas

5.0 out of 5 stars a book that sure is hard to put down!
this story is beautiful. a life story that sits in your heart and has a true meaning to it.
Published 4 months ago by negar

4.0 out of 5 stars Good mom, good son, good book
Quite enjoyable. The author recounts the life of his mother and his upbringing. She was white and eccentric in the middle an all black neighborhood. Well told.
Published 4 months ago by Frederick D. Fiene

5.0 out of 5 stars Some books are like friends and you keep them close to your heart.
The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White MotherI first read this book knowing virtually nothing about it.From the very first page, I was hooked. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jody Moskowitz

4.0 out of 5 stars A Touching Tribute
I stayed up all night to finish this book. It is a very interesting perspective of a man's mother. That isn't anything new but what makes it unique is that he is the son of a... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Busy Mom

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring
This was an inspiring story of triumph and human spirit. We read this for my book club and it received mixed reviews. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Waoac

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