Same Kind of Different As Me

by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (with Lynn Vincent)

The copy in the book's back flap says that it is gritty with pain and betrayal and brutality but it also shines with an unexpected, life-changing love. I should've taken this description seriously.

The story revolves around the life of of Denver, a former slave; Ron, a wealthy art dealer; and Deborah, a kind-hearted soul brimming with her love for the homeless. It contained Ron and Denver's different childhood stories, Deborah and Ron's married life, and the life-changing encounter at the Mission. The latter part was about Deborah's battle against cancer and Denver's transformation.

I have to admit: I had a hard time finishing the book. No, it's not bad. In fact it's really beautifully written it's painful in some parts. The story is good, but the introduction is a bit long. Later in the story, I found that it is necessary to know Ron's and Denver's life stories to better understand their characters.

I love the book but the parts where Ron and Denver described Deborah's cancer and how it slowly killed her was too painful for me to read. Knowing that it is a true story doubled the pain. There were times I have to put down the book to prevent myself from crying. My grandfather died a year ago and somehow, the descriptions in the book related to Deborah reminded me of my grandfather: the stomach pains, Deborah's interest in antique perfume bottles (my grandfather loved perfume bottles, too), the unbearable sinking feeling of knowing someone close to you is dying.

Overall, it's a nice book and I would recommend it to others, but make sure you have some Kleenex handy.


Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through BookSneeze.com, a book review bloggers program.