Same Kind of Different As Me

Author: Ron Hall and Denver Moore

One-sentence summary: A wealthy art dealer and a former sharecropper and homeless man become unlikely friends, changing each other and their communities irrevocably.

B.A.D. Girls Book Rating: 9

Our favorite thing about it: There were two favorite things: hearing the unique perspective of a homeless man and the motivation we felt after reading the book to extend ourselves beyond our comfort zones to make a tangible difference in the lives of others.

Our least favorite thing about it: A very minor thing…that Deborah seemed way too perfect! We’re sure she had some flaws, but Ron and Denver just chose not to elaborate on those (and rightly so).

Main Topics of Discussion: Homelessness, Poverty, Judgments, Hope, Perceptions, Nature vs. Nurture, Death and Dying, Forgiveness, Friendship, Marriage, Faith

Our favorite quote: “If you is fishin for a friend you just gon’ catch and release, then I ain’t got no desire to be your friend…But, if you is lookin for a real friend, then I’ll be one. Forever.”

Notes: In general we loved this book. The story, the message and the testimony of faith all touched us significantly. We loved how the perspectives of Ron and Denver were written in their own unique dialect. Right from the start that set the tone for their stories and also was the only clue as to who was talking, which we thought was brilliant. The telling of Deborah’s battle with cancer and eventual death brought us all to tears while we were reading it. We were all profoundly affected by both Ron’s and Denver’s perspectives of Deborah’s passing. We marveled at the details of mid-century sharecropping in the United States, of which we were not aware. We also appreciated the honesty of Ron as he described his shortcomings and his true feelings when he began spending time at the mission. Equally, we appreciated insight into Denver’s true feelings as a homeless man and how he viewed Ron and Deborah as well as his situation itself. We thought it was great to read a book that is set so close to home…Fort Worth. Ultimately, we felt we could not ignore what we took to be one of the messages of the book…that God works in true love and relationship to change people. We felt compelled after reading the book to find ways in our lives to allow God to use us more effectively for that purpose.

Memorable Meeting Moments: After enjoying a truly southern meal (complete with collared greens, which were a first for all of us), we finished off our night in the hot tub!