James McBride’s “The Color of Water” is an autobiography coupled with a memoir to McBride’s mother Ruth. Through the interviews of Ruth as well as James’ personal stories, we get a glimpse into the upbringings and experiences of two generations of McBride. The experiences from McBride’s childhood express how he came to be the man he is today. Hunter Jordan was the only father James had ever known. His birth father, Andrew Dennis McBride, had died before James’ birth. Living in a time with racism and discrimination, Hunter and Ruth’s relationship was frowned upon. “[Hunter Jordan] seemed to have no problem with her being white, which I found odd, since she was clearly so different from him.” The stability in James’ life was represented by Jordan.
