Same Kind of Different As Me

I have to admit that I'm months behind in reviewing books from my book club. The Same Kind of Different As Me was the the July book...so oops...

Although it hasn't been my favorite book club book so far, it's a good read. The book follows the lives of two men: Denver Moore and Ron Hall. They come from very different backgrounds — the 50s for a black man were NOT kind — but eventually they met and became best friends. However, I think the real hero of this story is Ron's wife, a forgiving, loving woman that spent her life helping others and was the impetus under which Ron and Denver eventually bonded. In fact, this quote from the book perfectly describes her:

“The Word says God don't give us credit for lovin the folks we want to love anyway. No, He gives us credit for loving the unlovable.” 

I think my favorite part of the book is Denver's matter-of-fact, accepting attitude. As a black man during the 50s, he suffered great injustices, and he lived a hard life, most of which was homeless and destitute. Yes, people treated him differently for both the color of his skin and his poverty, but he doesn't cry racism and build up this entitled attitude. He works hard and is true to himself, and eventually that pays off.

I also love how the book opens up about religion. The writers don't bother to hide it or make it less significant than it is. It was a major theme and continues to be so in the lives of Ron and Denver. So although it wasn't my favorite book, it's definitely worth a read. Plus, it gives you a better perspective on your own life. Just ask yourself: "Am I homeless? No? Then buck up!" or "What would Denver do?"

A couple of quotes to keep you inspired:

“Sometimes to touch us, God touches someone that's close to us. This is what opens our eyes to the fact there is a higher power than ourselves, whether we call it God or not.”

“You was the onlyest person that looked past my skin and past my meanness and saw that there was somebody on the inside worth savin...We all has more in common than we think. You stood up with courage and faced me when I was dangerous, and it changed my life. You loved me for who I was on the inside, the person God meant for me to be, the one that had just gotten lost for a while on some ugly roads in life.”