--- product_id: 1588236 title: "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" price: "¥3254" currency: JPY in_stock: true url: https://www.desertcart.jp/products/1588236-the-color-of-water-a-black-mans-tribute-to-his store_origin: JP region: Japan --- # Cross-race, cross-culture legacy Most kids graduated college NYT Bestseller 2+ years The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother **Price:** ¥3254 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 📖 Unlock the untold story that redefines family, race, and resilience. ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother - **How much does it cost?** ¥3254 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.jp](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/1588236-the-color-of-water-a-black-mans-tribute-to-his) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Academic Triumph:** A dozen children, most through graduate school, showcasing a legacy of education and resilience. - • **Enduring Bestseller:** Spent over two years on The New York Times bestseller list, proving timeless appeal. - • **Powerful Cultural Narrative:** Explores race, identity, and family through a unique, multigenerational lens. ## Overview The Color of Water is a modern classic memoir by James McBride, chronicling his white mother's extraordinary life and her impact on their twelve black children. Celebrated for its candid exploration of race, identity, and perseverance, this NYT bestseller has inspired readers worldwide with its heartfelt narrative and cultural depth. ## Description From the bestselling author of Deacon King Kong and the National Book Award-winning The Good Lord Bird : The modern classic that spent more than two years on The New York Times bestseller list and that Oprah.com calls one of the best memoirs of a generation. Who is Ruth McBride Jordan? A self-declared "light-skinned" woman evasive about her ethnicity, yet steadfast in her love for her twelve 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 eleven siblings in the poor, all-black projects of Red Hook, Brooklyn. "Mommy," a fiercely protective woman with "dark eyes full of pep and fire," herded her brood to Manhattan's free cultural events, sent them off on buses to the best (and mainly Jewish) schools, demanded good grades, and commanded respect. As a young man, McBride saw his mother as a source of embarrassment, worry, and confusion—and reached thirty before he began to discover the truth about her early life and long-buried pain. 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. With candor and immediacy, Ruth describes her parents' loveless marriage; her fragile, handicapped mother; her cruel, sexually-abusive father; and the rest of the family and life she abandoned. At seventeen, 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. Twice widowed, and continually confronting overwhelming adversity and racism, Ruth's determination, drive and discipline saw her dozen children through college—and most through graduate school. At age 65, she herself received a degree in social work from Temple University. 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 readers 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. ## Features - 10th - 2006 - The Color Of Water ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #11,582 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #15 in Discrimination & Racism #18 in Parent & Adult Child Relationships (Books) #28 in African American Demographic Studies (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 11,770 Reviews | ## Images ![The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91ThIoWd-fL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother - Deacon King Kong: Barack Obama Favourite Read & Oprah's Book Club Pick - The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store: The Million-Copy Bestseller --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.jp/products/1588236-the-color-of-water-a-black-mans-tribute-to-his](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/1588236-the-color-of-water-a-black-mans-tribute-to-his) --- *Product available on Desertcart Japan* *Store origin: JP* *Last updated: 2026-11-08*