Books like The color of water by James McBride
Set in the all‑black housing projects of Red Hook, Brooklyn, “The Color of Water” follows James McBride’s childhood among twelve siblings and his mother’s steadfast determination to bring them through college and beyond. Initially unaware of his mother’s past, McBride later discovers that she was born to a failed itinerant Orthodox rabbi in rural Virginia, fled to Harlem, married a Black man, and established an all‑Black Baptist church in their Red Hook home. The book weaves his personal narrative with his mother’s own story, offering a powerful portrait of growing up, a meditation on race and identity, and a moving tribute from son to mother.
First publish date: 1996
Genre: Memoir/Family Memoir
Authors: James McBride
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