After loving the movie, Same Kind of Different As Me, I read the book with the same title. Ron Hall and Denver Moore wrote this true story in their own distinct voices. I enjoyed the book even more than the movie as I had the luxury of rereading passages that were close to my heart.
Ron Hall, an international art dealer, and his wife Deborah lived an affluent life in Texas. Ron was content to simply enjoy life, hobnobbing with country-club friends, eating at fine restaurants and traveling. Deborah, however, felt called upon to help feed the homeless and disadvantaged at a Dallas shelter. As they drove to the shelter for the first time, Ron blanched at the homeless camps and rough neighborhood. He didn’t even feel safe driving in the area. Undaunted, Deborah insisted they continue on and offer their services at the shelter.
Denver Moore’s childhood and early adulthood in the 1950s and 60s in Red River Parish, Louisiana, amounted to modern-day slavery. As a young black child, he worked in the cotton fields alongside his grandfather. As a young man he continued to pick cotton, given a shack with no running water to live in and food to eat, but no pay. If he needed clothes or any other supplies, he bought them from “The Man” on credit. However, with no salary, there was no way to pay it off, so he was always in debt. As a young man he suddenly left that life, “rode the rails” into the big city, but in 1968 was sent to Angola prison for armed robbery. He was freed after serving ten years of a twenty-year sentence. Denver found his way to Dallas, living on the street with no skills, no job, and no hope to live what most of us call a decent life. He could neither read nor write, was a tough, bitter man whom most people learned to avoid.
When Denver first met Deborah, he resisted her cheerful attempts at friendliness. Deborah continued to help at the shelter and reach out to desperate people. She paid special attention to Denver, whom she believed down deep, under the crust of grime and mean demeanor, was a good person. As Denver would later say, “Miss Debbie was the onlyest person that ever loved me enough not to give up on me.”
Same Kind of Different As Me is skillfully written with vivid scenes of brutality, pain and betrayal, but also of love, sensitivity and caring. There are disturbing scenes, but also scenes of beauty and spiritual fulfillment. I highly recommend this true accounting of everyday, ordinary people who cared enough to make a difference.
Hello Mary, Your positive review makes me think I should read the book. You have a way of describing a book that makes the reader interested in the novel. Thanks.
Thank you, Hema. I put a lot of effort into my reviews, always trying to be fair and honest. I appreciate your comments letting me know I’m on the “right track.”
What a great review, Mary! I’ve seen this book around my bookstore e-newsletters but I didn’t take the time to read about this story. I’ve also seen this movie title floating among my suggested titles of my movie streaming apps. After reading your review, this sounds like something I’d like to read and then watch. Or vice versa 🙂
Thank you, Alice. Personally, I like to see the movie first, then I can picture the characters in the book even more vividly.
Thank you Mary for this book review. I am going to read it, thanks to your recommendation! You do us a great service…
Helen
Thank YOU, Helen. I think you’ll enjoy this book. It’s definitely a worthwhile read.