The Color of Water- Zakk Wayland

The Color of Water is an incredibly inspiring novel that delves straight into the issues of race and identity. The author, James McBride, depicts his life growing up as a African American in the inner city of New York with twelve siblings and their mysterious white mother. When asked about her past she avoids it, she is more concerned with molding her children into successful people. In McBride’s adulthood he convinced his mother to divulge the secrets of her life. He finds that his mother is from a Jewish family, was raised in the south, ran away to New York, and married an African American. A very controversial past for a women of her time ,and yet after all she went through she managed to put twelve children through collage. This book leaves the reader with a sense of inspiration gained through the stories of a compelling women and her son.

Ruth McBride (James’s mother) was eccentric, passionate, and strong willed women. She begins her story by telling her son she is “dead”. This refers to her life as a Jew, which she had forgotten and separated from. While raising her children she refused to reveal her past to them. This allowed her children to find their own identity in the world that was not connected to their mother’s past. In the novel McBride says this about his mother, “Mommy's contradictions crashed and slammed against one another like bumper cars at Coney Island. White folks, she felt were implicitly evil toward
blacks, yet she forced us to go to white schools to get the best education. Blacks
could be trusted more, but anything involving blacks was probably substandard...
She was against welfare and never applied for it despite our need, but championed
those who availed themselves of it." These contradictions contributed to the balanced view of humanity McBride possesses by showing him the truth even though it is twisted and not just. Through out her life Ruth changes her name multiple times. The first change is from "Ruchel Dwajra Zylska" to "Rachel
Deborah Shilsky" this was done when she immigrated to America in order to be more American. The second time she changed her name it was to Ruth McBride Jordon. This was because of her marriage and she enjoyed the even more American sounding name Ruth. Each name she has represents a different period of her life.

Being such a determined women Ruth ran her house hold very much like her father, Tateh, in a very tyrannical manner. The difference between her and her father was she succeeded and he failed miserably. The reason for this was the love for her children where her father was only worried about his gain. The title of the book is quite respectable to the issues of race and religion. It represents the idea that race and creed are not something to be hold against anyone ,and as Americans we should embrace all races and religious backgrounds. The lives of McBride and his family were greatly influenced by events and people tied to the Civil Rights Movement in America. People like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were his heroes growing up ,and he along with his siblings were part of the black pride movement.

This novel was an amazing piece of literature the rarely comes about. The way McBride tackles the aspects of race and religion is truly moving. McBride and his mother’s story uplifts the heart as they over come such slanted odds. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It was honestly an amazing read.