The Color of Water, by James McBride is a tribute to his white mother. McBride is a well-known musician, author, and screenwriter. He wrote three works of literature such as, The Color of Water, Song Yet Sung, and Miracle at St. Anna. McBride also is a saxophonist, and is known as a horrible dancer. James received his masters from Columbia University in Journalism. He now is married and has three children of his own. In this book James describes and compares his and his mothers childhood stories. The main conflict in this story is James is trying to find his identity. The rest of the novel is spent by McBride trying to find out answers to all the questions he has about his youth and about who he is. Ruth, James’s white mother, was not a fan of her past, and tried to keep if from her large family. Ruth was of the Jewish faith and then converted to Christianity. Being Caucasian, a converted Christian, and having an interracial family brought many hardships on Ruth and the McBride family.

Ruth McBride was a very strong woman. Her past was her weakness, she was not proud of it. She also did not like to speak of it. Ruth kept her past from her children. They did ask many times, and she somehow changed the subject and avoided it. She refused to tell them what truly her past consisted of. This made James very inquisitive as a child, he was eager to know what roots were within him. The McBride children were not ever sure of their place in the world due to their mother’s refusal to tell them about her childhood. She did this to ensure that they felt equality in the world. Ruth McBride started telling her story by saying she was “dead”. This is because she was in the eyes of her parents. They disowned Ruth at an early age because her marriage to a black man. Her parents saw this as blatant disrespect and rebellion. As a Jewish family they did not agree with interracial marriage.

Ruth’s contradictions contribute to James’ balanced views of humanity. Ruth made many contradicting statements but at the same time they all made sense in their own way. Ruth made her children go to mainly white schools because she wanted them to get the academics and knowledge that they deserved. She felt that the mainly white schools would have more opportunities for her children. James and his other siblings made white and black friends. This also helped explain their mothers reasoning in teaching them that everyone is equal no matter their race. Ruth never applied for welfare even though they desperately needed it. She did this because she knew that she was a strong women and she never needed the help, so why start now. Except she never discouraged or judged people who did use it.

The name changes that Ruth made still respected who she was. She changed her name the first time because she wanted to have a normal name, yet still Jewish. Then her name change to Rachel made it known that she was a Christian and she had converted. Then the change to Ruth summed everything up. Ruth is a strong Christian name, it represented her well it also showed who she is. Tateh, Ruth’s father, and Ruth both ran their households in a “tyrannical” manner. There are just a few differences though. Tateh failed, and Ruth did not. Tateh failed because all he did was take and take he never gave back. Tateh needed to compromise a little more. That’s what Ruth did, she made a few compromises. Ruth’s main reason in not failing was teaching her children that everyone is equal, Tateh was completely again that statement. They did have some qualities that favored them both. Tateh taught his children to respect him and to respect their mother. As did Ruth, she taught them that nothing less then respect. That is why Ruth succeeded and Tateh did not.

McBride as he ages starts to understand his mothers beliefs in equality and understands why she tried to hide her past. He witnessed all these things first hand. This helps James discover himself and figure out his answer to all of his questions that had been troubling him throughout his youth. This also makes him understand all the decisions that she made for him were done with love, and were for the best.

The title, The Color of Water offers a vision to the Americans by making them think what color is water. Water does not have any specific color, it should not even matter. Just like the color of our skin, it should not matter. It is significant with respect to questions about race and religion. It shows that everyone needs to have a balance in his or her life and part of that balance being equality. McBride perceives some of the people in history dealing with race as not worth it, and also a waste of time. But on the other hand he also sees some of them as his reasoning for maturing. He also believes some of them have taught him lessons throughout life.

This book was an okay book. It took a lot of concentration to get really into it, and some parts I just couldn’t get into. But overall it had a good message, and I do think that people should read it.




-Jenna Mullen