Book Recommendation

I just read such a good book.

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.

It has the potential to be life-changing if you let it. At very least, you will wake up with a change of perspective. I couldn't put it down until I had finished...even if it did mean staying up until 2:30 a.m. to do it. I love books like that.

It's the story of a homeless black man who grew up as a sharecropper, a "slave" even though slavery had long since been abolished, and a wealthy white man whose devotion to his philanthropic wife drug him into serving regularly in a homeless ministry.

Here's a short excerpt from the book and a pivotal moment in the story. Denver is the homeless man and Ron is the wealthy man. Ron is narrating:

"Denver looked away, searching the blue autumn sky, then locked onto me again with that drill-bit stare. 'So, Mr. Ron, it occurred to me: If you is fishin for a friend you just gon' catch and release, then I ain't got no desire to be your friend.'

The world seemed to halt in midstride and fall silent around us like one of those freeze-frame scenes on TV. I could hear my heart pounding and imagined Denver could see it popping my breast pocket up and down. I returned Denver's gaze with what I hoped was a receptive expression and hung on.

Suddenly his eyes gentled and he spoke more softly than before: 'But if you is lookin for a real friend, then I'll be one. Forever.' "