Sunday, August 22, 2010

Same Kind of Different As Me


A few weeks ago my friend Krismar and her family were over for supper. In addition to having children who are all roughly the same age (and play very well together), Krismar and I also share a passion for reading. A large portion of our time when we get together is spent talking books. I have a few friends whose recommendations I take, and Krismar is one of them. The Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore came highly recommended by her, and the next day I made sure to hunt for this book so I could begin reading it immediately. I have been in sort of a funk when it comes to finding a book to read while running on the treadmill. I like running - mostly I like how it feels after I have finished- but I really like having a book that I am into and wanting to read, making my time on the treadmill fly by.

The Same Kind of Different As Me kept me interested right from the first page. This memoir is narrated by two very different men: Ron Hall, a multi-millionaire art dealer, and Denver Moore a homeless black man. The two share their life stories, which eventually converge as Ron and his wife, Debbie, volunteer at the local homeless shelter where Denver eats his meals. Debbie is a woman with a strong faith in God and a personal relationship with the Lord, an example to many. While it would be easy for her to throw some of her money at problems such as homelessness, Debbie invests more than money - she invests her time and gives selflessly to those less fortunate than she is. She also is certain that her husband is meant to befriend Denver, who is not exactly looking to make friends with these rich do-gooders. While Ron initially thinks that he will be able to provide Denver with experiences that are new to him, helping him to learn more about the world, it is actually Ron who receives an education from Denver. When struggles come Ron and Debbie's way, Denver is right there for them, sharing his wisdom and faith in God.

As a memoir-lover I had looked at this one before, but never actually heard much about it. I have seen it around the blogosphere a bit, usually to rave reviews, as bloggers exclaim over how life-changing this story is. I just handed the book off to my mother this evening, and predict she will really enjoy this one. She is a part of a book club that I could see reading this one as well, so I will have to check back with her soon to make sure this hasn't gone to the bottom of her TBR pile (which is significantly smaller than mine).

I did really like this one....maybe didn't love it, but found so many good lessons in Denver and Ron's story. This book did a good job of curing my treadmill reading funk because I actually looked forward to reading more of this book enough to actually want to run! Krismar has also encouraged my husband to read Same Kind of Different as Me, and I will be interested to hear his reaction to this book.

Same Kind of Different as Me is definitely worth your time - a book you will remember and learn from.

3 comments:

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Another one that is on my wish list; thanks for the great review.

Shan said...

Great review, I really enjoyed this book as well.

Gerbera Daisy Diaries said...

This was our book club choice this month -- unfortuantely, I didn't get it read!