The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

A daughter of the Black Panther movement tells her remarkable life story of being raised amid violence and near-poverty, adopted as a teenager by Jane Fonda, and finding her way back home.

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As she grew up in 1970s Oakland, California, role models for Mary Williams were few and far between: her father was often in prison, her older sister was a teenage prostitute, and her hot-tempered mother struggled to raise five children alone. When Mary was thirteen, a silver lining appeared in her life: she was invited to spend a summer at Laurel Springs Childrenand#8217;s Camp, run by Jane Fonda and her then husband, Tom Hayden. Mary flourished at camp, and over the course of several summers, she began confiding in Fonda about her difficulties at home. During one school year, Mary suffered a nightmare assault crime, which she kept secret until she told a camp counselor and Fonda. After providing care and therapy for Mary, Fonda invited her to come live with her family.

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Practically overnight, Mary left the streets of Oakland for the star-studded climes of Santa Monica. Jane Fonda was the parent Mary had never hadand#151;outside the limelight and Hollywood parties, Fonda was a wonderful mom who helped with homework, listened to adolescent fears, celebrated achievements, and offered inspiration and encouragement at every turn.

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Maryand#8217;s life since has been one of adventure and opportunityand#151;from hiking the Appalachian Trail solo, working with the Lost Boys of Sudan, and living in the frozen reaches of Antarctica. Her most courageous trip, though, involved returning to Oakland and reconnecting with her biological mother and family, many of whom she hadnand#8217;t seen since the day she left home. The Lost Daughter is a chronicle of her journey back in time, an exploration of fractured family bonds, and a moving epic of self-discovery.

A daughter of the Black Panther movement tells her remarkable life story of being raised amid violence and near-poverty, adopted as a teenager by Jane Fonda, and finding her way back home.

and#160;

As she grew up in 1970s Oakland, California, role models for Mary Williams were few and far between: her father was often in prison, her older sister was a teenage prostitute, and her hot-tempered mother struggled to raise five children alone. When Mary was thirteen, a silver lining appeared in her life: she was invited to spend a summer at Laurel Springs Childrenand#8217;s Camp, run by Jane Fonda and her then husband, Tom Hayden. Mary flourished at camp, and over the course of several summers, she began confiding in Fonda about her difficulties at home. During one school year, Mary suffered a nightmare assault crime, which she kept secret until she told a camp counselor and Fonda. After providing care and therapy for Mary, Fonda invited her to come live with her family.

and#160;

Practically overnight, Mary left the streets of Oakland for the star-studded climes of Santa Monica. Jane Fonda was the parent Mary had never hadand#151;outside the limelight and Hollywood parties, Fonda was a wonderful mom who helped with homework, listened to adolescent fears, celebrated achievements, and offered inspiration and encouragement at every turn.

and#160;

Maryand#8217;s life since has been one of adventure and opportunityand#151;from hiking the Appalachian Trail solo, working with the Lost Boys of Sudan, and living in the frozen reaches of Antarctica. Her most courageous trip, though, involved returning to Oakland and reconnecting with her biological mother and family, many of whom she hadnand#8217;t seen since the day she left home. The Lost Daughter is a chronicle of her journey back in time, an exploration of fractured family bonds, and a moving epic of self-discovery.

Mary Williams was born to Black Panther parents and grew up in Oakland, California, in the 70sandmdash;a vivid childhood during a time of immense political and cultural upheaval, though hardly idyllic. Her father was often absent or in prison, an older sister succumbed to prostitution and teenage pregnancy, and her mother struggled with alcoholism. For all she knew, Mary was headed down the same path.

But all of that changed when she met Jane Fonda at a summer camp run by Fonda and her husband Tom Hayden in 1978. Jane took notice of the bright young girl, and invited Mary to come and live with herandmdash;and overnight, at age thirteen, Mary left impoverished Oakland for star-studded Santa Monica. Jane was the mother sheandrsquo;d never had: one who imposed curfews and bedtimes, helped with homework, and insisted on family dinners every night. With her adoptive motherandrsquo;s encouragement, Mary spent the next three decades traveling the world: she worked with the Lost Boys of the Sudan, hiked the Appalachian Trail (solo), and spent months living in Antarctica. But her greatest adventure has been the trip back home, to reconnect with her biological familyandmdash;from Oakland to Hollywood to Africa with many stops along the way, The Lost Daughter is the story of one womanandrsquo;s remarkable homecoming.

James McBride is an accomplished musician and author of the New York Times bestseller, The Color of Water. His second book, Miracle at St. Anna, was optioned for film in 2007 by Black Butterfly Productions with noted American filmmaker Spike Lee directing and co-producing. McBride has written for the Washington Post, People, the Boston Globe, Essence, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times. He is a graduate of Oberlin College. He was awarded a master’s in journalism from New York’s Columbia University at the age of twenty-two. McBride holds several honorary doctorates and is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University. McBride lives in Pennsylvania and New York.