Same Kind of Different As Me Movie Edition: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together

This is a book I read for a non-fiction reading group. I found it a compelling story, despite the fact that I'm not a believer in visitations by angels or dead people, both of which feature into the story. A deeply religious and wealthy couple from Fort Worth befriends a taciturn homeless ex-con. It's an unlikely friendship, but one that rings true, and it's written in the voices of the two men. I found Denver Moore's story at first sad but ultimately inspiring -- it's difficult coming to terms with the kind of poverty that is as deep as that in which he grew up. An amazing story, highly recommended.

I really wanted to love this book that was supposed to be about helping a homeless man make something of his life. In reality, Denver Moore, the man who grew up as a Louisiana sharecropper and ended up on the streets of Ft. Worth, gave far more than he received. His story is inspirational and believable. He has retained his humility despite the success that his transformation earned him.Unfortunately, his liberator doesn't come off as well in the book, at least in the beginning. I would have stopped reading this if it hadn't been for a book group because it's difficult for me to trust a narrator with a puffed-up ego as big as the state of Texas! I hate to say it, but Ron Hall's transformation came at the expense of his wife, who was portrayed as an angel on earth. It's hard to know if this is true because she doesn't get to tell her story. She did get to deliver one of the book's best lines when Ron was rambling on about his Armani suits and his new Rolls-Royce. She asked him if that Rolls had a rearview mirror - and did he see a rock star when he looked in it. Loved it.This did turn out to be an inspiring story about prejudice, homelessness, forgiveness, suffering, and faith. With all of these worthy topics, it is understandable that the book is a little heavyhanded on the spiritual overtones. I wish the writing had been better and that it didn't focus so much on the tragedy that cemented the friendship. Still, it left me with a feeling of hope and that is certainly worth the price of a book.

This reads like a GREAT fiction book, but it is true story! You get so caught up in the story, you forget it is real-life! You can almost hear Denver's southern voice coming off the page. Chapters flip back and forth between Denver and Ron, but it is easy to follow. I read it in only two days. I just couldn't put it down!The most amazing thing about this story is Deborah Hall, wife of Ron. Because of her love for Christ and her growing faith, she forgave her husband, began working with the homeless, heard from God, and stepped out in faith. Because of her love and her actions, lives were transformed for Christ.Not only is this a fantastic story, it inspires me to be like Deborah (Miss Debbie), a woman of faith, prayer, and action!

Two things struck me about this book most strongly. First, despite the vernacular parts of it were written in, it was incredibly readable and I really enjoyed entering slightly more into the story through the non-proper English. Second, I found it a powerful testament to what sorts of transformations happen when the gospel infects people and gives them a real burden and real love that is invested for a long time into others. For that alone it is worth reading and contemplating.

Writing style enjoyable and it was very funny how the author humbled himself

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If true, then this is a very powerful and very beautiful story. I was about to recommend it after the first reading, but the second reading opened my eyes to a lot of disturbing details that changed my perception of the book dramatically.

I question the full truthfulness of the book based on the following findings:

- The ghostwriter is Lynn Vincent, the same who wrote the fake 'Heaven is for Real'. It is apparent that the author hates most Christians, or at least the church and its traditions. She does literally not miss any opportunity to lash out against Christians and their stupid fish stickers, the 'manipulative teaching' of the pastor at Union Gospel Mission those hungry mouths had to suffer before getting fed, how for years nobody from a church would have cared for a homeless man next to it, and so on ... She has an amazing writing talent, especially the art to capture the attention of the reader through details which provoke imagination, but it is hard to grasp what percentage of the story is really true. 60%, 50% or even less? She describes details and specific sentences of conversations made decades ago and we have to question what limits artistic freedom has in a Christian book.

This becomes especially clear when she is caught in a lie, when stating from Ron's perspective that every time he approached with his car the tunnel where the homeless were sitting, they would hide the liquor bags behind their back. There is no information how Ron could have known this and it is most certainly simply a 'decorative' lie.

- It is clearly stated that both Ron and his wife were (or still are) Masons, specifically of the Sigma Chi and Delta Tau Delta fraternities. The book has in fact been one of the most effective publicities for Freemasonry of the last decades.

p51 "In the meantime, Scoot and I landed our first blind dates with TCU girls, a pair of TRI DELTA pledges."
P53 "Inside the stadium, the whole student body seemed to ogle me as if I were the victim of a fraternity prank."
P71 "The first time I saw Deborah, I began plotting to steal her. Not for myself at first, but for SIGMA CHI, the fraternity I pledged after transferring from EAST TEXAS STATE to TCU as a sophomore. It was the spring of 1965, and I was on academic probation. Deborah, meanwhile, was a sophomore on an academic scholarship, and by the time I met her was also a TRI DELT sorority girl and a “sweetheart” of DELTA TAU DELTA, our rival fraternity. I planned to make her a SIGMA CHI sweetheart, a little inter-frat coup that carried with it the novel perk of adding an intellectual girl to our table at the Student Union. [...] One warm fall night in 1966, SIGMA CHI was gearing up for a “woodsy,” an informal event in which the fraternity trooped into the woods, hauled in coolers full of iced-down beer, and made out with their dates. Only I didn’t have a date, a fact I had been sharing with my friend Glenn Whittington (TEXAS CHRISTIAN / EPSILON MU, White Cross Trust Associate) when Deborah walked into the Student Union.
p73 "I learned that she had just broken up with her boyfriend, a DELTA TAU DELTA hunk named Frank."

- The very concept of a secret society is extra-biblical at best, and anti-biblical at worst. The Bible sets no precedent that encourages joining an organization marked by secrecy and 'hidden truth'. God never commands it, and there are no examples of godly men in Scripture who joined one.

- There is no indication in the book that Ron and his wife distanced themselves from being Masons. There is a sinner's prayer in a Methodist church, but this does not say much, especially given the fact that both did the prayer with reluctance and that there is no mention of repentance. She shows later real and indeed extraordinary fruits, but Ron does not come across like born again, although being a better person. He still called sick while travelling on an airplane (no lament for this in the book) and they played a triple-dating-game while being believers. His adultery caused one conversation with a pastor, but not a word of sincere repentance before the Lord.

- It is questionable that Denver's aunt indeed made it rain. Satan can fake a lot of miracles and signs, but to make it rain at the command of an individual? It is also not helpful that essential info regarding her witchcraft was hidden in the appendix of the book and only a second reading of the book enabled to connect the dots and what caused much of what Denver suffered, including the white lady friend of his aunt who indirectly provoked his near death.

- It is strange that some cabins related to Denver burned down (mentioned in the context of searching a movie location) and that the evidence for his history is gone.

- As this wasn't strange enough, the ghostwriter is telling us that Denver went for 20 years to prison without the authorities knowing his name. Could this be a clever strategy to make it impossible to track the truthfulness of the whole story, or could it be true that a man without name goes to prison?

- It is odd that Ron would have driven past the presidential limousine of JFK right before JFK was killed, on his way to a date. It could have happened, but rather seems fabricated, like many other extravagant details.

- Repeated endorsement of the false teacher C.S. Lewis (believed in purgatory; Tao is the highest morality; rejected biblical inerrancy; theistic evolutionist; considered Hindu, Buddhist and Muslims as brothers in Christ)

- Endorsement of Billy Graham (great admirer of the 33° Mason Norman Vincent Peale (accident in a book inspired by Masons?), strong tendency towards Universalism, Key figure in the ecumenical movement, used Roman Catholic lay people as supervisors and altar workers, Close collaboration with the Vatican and the Pope, endorsement of female pastors)

To conclude, we do not know the truthfulness. If true, it is a wonderful story. If.

Wow! Just read it. One of all time favorite books.

Kind of sappy. Sort of like reading a Hallmark movie. I wasn’t impressed. Only read the whole thing because my sister bought it for me.

Better than the first 30 pages made me THINK it was going to be... on my way to Book Discussion now... we'll see what everyone else thought!

So I found this book in a little free library. I thought the premise was interesting, and while it did have a Christian Vibe to it, it wouldn't be super preachy. And, for the first part, it wasn't. I found the story of Ron and Debra interesting, Denver is a person who had a hard life, finally finding something that gives him hope/respect.

Unfortunately, the last half of the book is nothing but preaching, not necessarily at you, the reader, but at all the praise to the Lord/God is Good/God is mysterious, etc etc.

I was hoping for more of why Denver was a Modern-Day Slave, as it is subtitled on the book cover. There's a bit pertaining to his life as a shareholder, but it isn't much of a story. The majority of the first part is how Debra insisted on making Denver an acquaintance, a man who very much didn't want to be friends with a white women do-gooder. I found her approach a bit patronizing, but maybe thats just me. Not everyone needs to be a friend, and I believe that when rejected, you should honor that.

However, I do think that Debra was actually very respectful to those she wanted to help - she understood that they were at the bottom due to a combination of bad luck, bad family, and bad choices. She didn't judge, she just listened.

And, I'd like to know more about the white evangelistic church that accepted Denver.... was he considered a true member? or just a token "see, we aren't racist because we have a black person in our congregation". I suspect the latter, but the book was only surface level, showing the outside.

Now the book was written in 2006. And times have changed. I'd like to know if the Antique Dealer actually voted to make life better for poor people. There was no conversation about it in this book, and when Denver and Ron visited the shotgun houses near the end, there was no questions asked about how the social safety net has still not helped those most at risk.

Its not my place to ask.... but there are too many people who think that the only thing that is needed is charity to help those at the lowest rungs.... without understanding that poverty goes hand in hand with poor paying jobs, lack of education, and persisting stereotypes.

I was really hoping for a book about change, whether Christian based or not, and it is there in a way, but its about the change of two men who formed an unlikely friendship. But the book is more about bringing God to those at the bottom, rather than actually helping. Did good things come about? I don't know. It did for Denver and Ron, who found a strong friendship. But I don't see anybody else actually being helped. Just fed and preached at.

It's a beautiful story about two men from different walks of life. Different racial background, different financial backgrounds, different outlooks on life. How is it possible that they could ever find common ground? But they did--Debbie. It takes a beautiful soul and a warm heart to put yourself out there and make a difference in the lives of those around you, but Debbie did just that.

Her selflessness made Ron look like some pathetic rich man who was thinking too much about the physical/material side of life while she was focused on the spiritual. I've heard that sometimes you have to feed the body in order to feed the soul. She gave of her time and efforts regularly at the mission. She reached the lonely and the lost.

Denver was a lucky man to have met her and known her. Most people would have walked on by and never paid him any attention. Or some would just give a hand out just to get them to go away. But Debbie saw a man in pain and a man who needed a hand UP. Together, she and Ron gave him what he needed most: friendship. And that friendship grew into a familial bond that lasted for years, even beyond her death.

A beautiful story that is worth re-reading!

An alternate title: International Art Dealer Meets Homeless Man

Funny how life works. When I was in the middle of this book, I happened to post a comment on a friend's blog explaining why I didn't watch the posted video. I shared that I was not in the mood for "being moved to tears," which is the behavior it was likely to provoke. Little did I know - it was coming around the corner whether I wanted it or not.

Both Ron and Denver share their thoughts with raw honesty in alternating chapters. Most are short and move their story along quickly, but not without emotion. I found it to be a serious and interesting book. It is one that can bring about change in one's life, plant a seed, or at the very least - shed more light on the homeless. There are two topics that may be a stumbling block for some: Christianity and Cancer. Both are prevalent in the book and both - yes, moved me to tears. However, as much as they made a statement, I was enthralled with the homeless man's life prior to being homeless. Slavery has always been a topic that I have been drawn to.

Ultimately, I am very glad I read it, but I am still a bit miffed that I had to endure weeping.

Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy

i loved Denver's sections. it made me cry too, so apparently it was effective in that way. the author has sainted his wife to the point of making her one dimensional, which was annoying.

I'm not sure what makes me suspect this story but there is something that rings false to me. It may be the under-acknowledged work of Lynn Vincent who clearly did more to shape this inspiring story than simply write down the words Ron Hall and Denver Moore spoke to her as they told their stories. Their stories are amazing, and I imagine anyone who reads this book will want to learn more about their lives and their advocacy for homeless people.

A quick inspiring read about two men with nothing in common, finding, they do in fact have things in common. Denver is an illiterate, black, homeless man who grew up as a modern day slave working for the man in Louisiana. Ron is a famed international art dealer with more money then he knows what to do with. When Ron's wife feels called by God to start helping others, Ron goes along for the ride. He begrudgingly starts handing out meals at a local mission. While there he encounters Denver, but Denver wants nothing to do with him. The streets have made him hard and he doesn't have time for rich people trying to make themselves feel better by helping the homeless. Slowly though, Ron's wife pushes the two of them together and they realize that they have more in common then they ever thought possible and start to genuinely appreciate each other's perspectives on life. A little hokey, but I'm probably just a jaded cynic.

I knew I wanted to read this book when I saw the two authors interviewed. I had to wait a month on my libraries waiting list, the book was that popular. Believe me it was a very long month. When their movie came out, I wanted to go see it, but my husband wasn't well, he's fighting Hodgkin Lymphoma. I thought it was one of the best books I have read this year. The writing was good, it kept my interest and I though well done. It was a fast read, which was good because I couldn't put it down. There are so many stories and life lessons in this book, besides the main one. We have so much to learn, from the White House on Down. I think this story should be required reading in all of our high schools. Do they even do that any more?

Lovely reminder of what life could be like if we looked past others' "cover."

True story about a self-absorbed art dealer whose spiritual wife encourages him to volunteer at a homeless shelter. She has had a dream and is sure that something significant is supposed to happen there. The art dealer (Ron Moore) and his wife meet a reclusive homeless man named Denver at the shelter--though it takes them quite a while to even learn his name. Ron -at the insistence of his wife -tries to befriend Denver. Eventually Denver starts to let him into his world and his story - which is truly amazing comes out. He grew up as a sharecropper in the south and was basically treated as a slave. Some of the horrible things he went through are hard to read, but they are also some of the most interesting parts of the book. Ron's story, on the other hand, was harder to get into as he was so self-absorbed before he got involved with Denver. It was intriguing to see the way that their relationship changed each of them, and how they rallied around the wife - Deborah - during her illness and death. A powerful story, some parts of it may seem preachy to some and the writing a bit uneven but it did generate a good discussion with the group that I read it with.

What a great and inspiring book. Sad though. It was the read one year for incoming freshmen at
Appalachian State one year.

One of the most inspiring books I've read in a long time. A true story of a privileged art dealer and a homeless man who escaped a life of modern day slavery and how they become acquainted and are forever changed in the process. Am hoping to read the sequel soon.

Such a lovely, tear jerking story of friendship with no bounds- just shared love.

Excellent!

I bought this book about a year ago, after hearing co-author Ron Hall speak at a fundraiser banquet. I thought he had a neat story, and that I’d enjoy the book, so I bought my autographed copy. My eldest daughter read it the first week we owned it, and then it disappeared into the recesses of her room for a while. About half a year later, I retrieved it and moved it to my bookcase, where it sat for a while longer. Finally, I decided to dust it off last week and take it with me to the dentist office where I had some waiting room time ahead of me while three little girls had their teeth cleaned. By the time they all had pretty clean smiles, I was on chapter 19.

The book hops back and forth between two narrators: Denver, who grew up on a sharecropper’s plantation before he moved on to the big city streets to live as a homeless man, and Ron, a wealthy art dealer. It tells the story of their past, and how their two lives ended up intertwined to form the most unlikely friendship. The connection centers around Ron’s wife, Deborah. It’s a powerful story of unconditional love and loving the unloveable as Christ taught his followers to do.

As far as books go, this one is easy reading. The different narrators definitely have their own voice, and I loved the switching of perspectives – especially as their stories came to be parallel but told from two different points of view. The story itself is outstanding. The pictures evoked in my mind were quite vivid. I would caution you, unlike I did, to preview the book or at least simultaneously to read it with your older tween or teen – - there is some sensitive material, in the form of some things that happened to Denver when he was a boy, specifically an event carried out by members of the KKK. Also, several times, the “n” word is used. I wish I had know that before my 12 year old had read the book. I probably still would have let her read it, but we would have discussed it more. The book both humbled and challenged me, and I would recommend it to others. I would rate the book with a 4.5 of 5 stars.

Heart wrenching story, that really makes you evaluate yourself

Same Kind of Different As Me is the story of Ron Hall, a wealthy white art dealer and Denver Moore, a homeless black man that Ron and his wife Deborah befriend.

I read this book because it was a selection for my stay-at-home mom’s book club. It’s definitely not a book I would have picked up on my own, as it has a heavy focus on Evangelical Christian religious doctrine and that’s not really my thing. I even felt kind of duped by this book because the blurb on the book jacket doesn’t mention anything about God or religion; I felt like they were trying to draw in unsuspecting readers who wouldn’t normally read the book. From some of the reviews I read on Goodreads, I’m not alone in feeling this way.

Ron starts out as a snobby, racist and classist jerk of a guy who is convinced to work at a homeless shelter by his selfless and giving wife Deborah. (Why does Deborah put up with this guy? Good question.) Deborah feels that God is telling her that Ron should become friends with Denver, who has a reputation of being the meanest, most stand-offish homeless man at the shelter. Ron loves and trusts his wife so he does what she asks.. At first, it’s clear that Ron thinks he is doing Denver a big favor by even talking to him and that Ron thinks he is inherently better than Denver because he is rich and white. Thankfully, as Ron gets to know Denver, he realizes that he isn’t better than him and that he been judgmental and wrong in his preconceived notions about homeless and black people. We also learn that Denver isn’t really as mean as he seems.

I appreciated how honest Ron was about how he wasn’t the greatest person when he first started working at the mission. I didn’t relate to the heavy-handed religious aspect of the book and found the constant references to prayer monotonous but I did like reading about Denver’s life and the development of his relationship with Ron.

The true story of a homeless illiterate Louisiana sharecropper and a wealthy Texas art dealer who become unlikely friends when the art dealer's devoutly Christian wife starts volunteering at a Ft Worth rescue mission. The he said-he said format was the perfect choice for conveying this odd couple's compelling story. I usually don't favor proselytizing via paperback, but this book works.

It has been a while since I have read this book. However, I read my son's review and found his perspective interesting - and knowing him as I do I understand where he is coming from. My self however, have a different perspective. I am a Counselor AT a Rescue Mission here in the Midwest. While I personally cannot fully identify with Denver's predicament, or even Ron's for that matter I can understand the hopeless of Denver and the disillusionment of Ron. I must say that I cringe when I read other reviewers passing judgement on Ron - saying he is being "Self Righteous" etc., Ron had come to the place in his life where he realized that he was in fact, NOT "Righteous" at all! This book is about the redemption of two men, with very different backgrounds. Ron and Denver did have one thing in common... A desperate need for real, genuine PEACE in their hearts.

I think that this was one of the best most insprialtional books I have read in a very long time...I love the approach of how God works and even if you do not follow a particular religion you will find this book very uplifting

This book was so good it's hard to believe that it is non-fiction! The story of Denver and Ron touched so deep into my soul I don't think I'll soon forget their story. It was such a good reminder of how different everyone's struggles are and reinforces the lesson of judging others. This book made me realize that I need to do more to give back to others. We can wish for miracles all day or ask God to make a difference in the lives of others but ultimately it is in our hands to make that difference and do his work here on earth. Of course it is through his strength that we have been given any of our gifts but make no mistake, we are his hands, that is what we were put on this earth to do.

The writing style of Denver's side takes a little getting used to but it is such a touching story and so worth it. I'd recommend this book to everyone!