Synopsis (taken from http://www.bn.com/):
Meet Denver, a man raised under plantation-style slavery in Louisiana in the 1960s; a man who escaped, hopping a train to wander, homeless, for eighteen years on the streets of Dallas, Texas. No longer a slave, Denver's life was still hopeless-until God moved. First came a godly woman who prayed, listened, and obeyed. And then came her husband, Ron, an international arts dealer at home in a world of Armani-suited millionaires. And then they all came together. But slavery takes many forms. Deborah discovers that she has cancer. In the face of possible death, she charges her husband to rescue Denver. Who will be saved, and who will be lost? What is the future for these unlikely three? What is God doing? Same Kind of Different As Me is the emotional tale of their story: a telling of pain and laughter, doubt and tears, dug out between the bondages of this earth and the free possibility of heaven.
Meet Denver, a man raised under plantation-style slavery in Louisiana in the 1960s; a man who escaped, hopping a train to wander, homeless, for eighteen years on the streets of Dallas, Texas. No longer a slave, Denver's life was still hopeless-until God moved. First came a godly woman who prayed, listened, and obeyed. And then came her husband, Ron, an international arts dealer at home in a world of Armani-suited millionaires. And then they all came together. But slavery takes many forms. Deborah discovers that she has cancer. In the face of possible death, she charges her husband to rescue Denver. Who will be saved, and who will be lost? What is the future for these unlikely three? What is God doing? Same Kind of Different As Me is the emotional tale of their story: a telling of pain and laughter, doubt and tears, dug out between the bondages of this earth and the free possibility of heaven.
This book was chosen for one of my book clubs and I asked myself if I would have picked it otherwise. The answer was maybe. Would I have finished it were it not for book club? Definitely not.
In reading the reviews for this book, I understand that people were moved and inspired by this story. I didn't realize when I started it that it was indeed a true story. But, the religious aspects of the story are very heavy handed. I can see this book being a valuable addition in church libraries. I do think the lessons in the book about not judging the homeless, and about the realities of slavery are incredibly touching and important, but the preaching manner of the book that those lessons were encased in turned me off.
I am not a deeply religious person, and I understand that is part of the chasm here, but I think even those who have deeply felt beliefs could find the preaching tone that goes on for chapters restating the same thing a bit much.
I love Denver's retelling of his childhood, as painful as his moments growing up as a slave were, his real words, his true memories are so powerful and vivid. I think his experience is as real and pure as anyone, and is a lesson in not judging people who have fallen on hard times and realizing the suffering that may be behind it, and the possibilities that lie before them, given the chance.
I couldn't warm up as much to Ron, although his transformation did seem genuine. There were definitely parts of the book that confused me, especially when Denver stated that he never felt as close to Ron as to Debbie, when all we see in the book are his conversations and moments spent with Ron, and very few descriptions of any real time spent with Debbie.
All in all, there is an inspirational story within Same Kind of Different as Me. I think a better editor could have taken hold of this book and made it truly shine instead of just glimmer a bit, taking out the heavy-handed preaching, and mining for the true treasures of the stories underneath. I can't wholeheartedly recommend the book except to my deeply religious friends, and even then with a few words of warning.
In reading the reviews for this book, I understand that people were moved and inspired by this story. I didn't realize when I started it that it was indeed a true story. But, the religious aspects of the story are very heavy handed. I can see this book being a valuable addition in church libraries. I do think the lessons in the book about not judging the homeless, and about the realities of slavery are incredibly touching and important, but the preaching manner of the book that those lessons were encased in turned me off.
I am not a deeply religious person, and I understand that is part of the chasm here, but I think even those who have deeply felt beliefs could find the preaching tone that goes on for chapters restating the same thing a bit much.
I love Denver's retelling of his childhood, as painful as his moments growing up as a slave were, his real words, his true memories are so powerful and vivid. I think his experience is as real and pure as anyone, and is a lesson in not judging people who have fallen on hard times and realizing the suffering that may be behind it, and the possibilities that lie before them, given the chance.
I couldn't warm up as much to Ron, although his transformation did seem genuine. There were definitely parts of the book that confused me, especially when Denver stated that he never felt as close to Ron as to Debbie, when all we see in the book are his conversations and moments spent with Ron, and very few descriptions of any real time spent with Debbie.
All in all, there is an inspirational story within Same Kind of Different as Me. I think a better editor could have taken hold of this book and made it truly shine instead of just glimmer a bit, taking out the heavy-handed preaching, and mining for the true treasures of the stories underneath. I can't wholeheartedly recommend the book except to my deeply religious friends, and even then with a few words of warning.
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