The Color of Water" by James McBride was first published in 1995. It is the author’s autobiography. The subtitle of the book is “A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother.” The alternate narrative keeps on shifting between the descriptions of the author’s early life and the first person narration of the life of the author’s mother, Ruth. The book describes the life of the author’s mother before the author was born. Ready Reference Treatise: The Color of Water Copyright Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Plot Overview Chapter Three: Characters Chapter Four: Complete Summary Chapter Five: Critical Analysis