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Overview

The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother is a memoir by James McBride published in 1995. It tells the story of McBride's mother, Ruth, a Polish Jewish immigrant, and her marriage to McBride’s African American father. The book is structured as a series of alternating chapters, with Ruth's voice telling her story and McBride’s voice telling his. The Color of Water was a New York Times bestseller for two years and has sold over two million copies. 

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