Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together
Series: Same Kind of Different as Me, Book 1
By: Ron Hall, Denver Moore, Lynn Vincent / Narrated by: Daniel Butler, Barry Scott
Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
Okay so, maaaaybe the book IS a tad offensive? But the audiobook? Oh WOW!
I’m LOVING what I’ve listened to this week of searching for Inspiration!
But lemme just get something (Which seems to have merit) outta the way. A reviewer on Amazon was disGUSTed by the book. The story is told in alternating chapters between Ron Hall’s words and then the words of Denver Moore. Hall gets to have proper spelling and grammar, but for Denver? His words are spelled phonetically with all SORTS of clipped words and poor grammar like he’s a Black idiot. Oooooh! Pooooo! I mean, I can understand it kinda sorta as Denver is from the Deep South and all, but that dooooes rather smack of a slap to the face. Ooooooh! Poooooo!
-BUT-
As an audiobook with Barry Scott coming through loud and clear as an emotional and thinking man who happens to have an accent? Oh phew and huzzah! Brilliant performances all around, from the beginning where Ron Hall is ADMITTEDLY a condescending prig and Denver Moore is an angry homeless man bent on simple survival and self-preservation, all the way to the end where Ron really does feel like he’s found a brother and Denver is talking directly to God and spreading His word.
Deborah Hall wakes one morning, glowing, as she’s just been given a dream of her new Earthly Duty: Serve the homeless. This is NOT what Ron wants to hear. He’s all caught up in his world making money as an art dealer and collecting status Stuff. He goes along with her, but he’s desperately hoping that one look at the place, one look at the people, and she’ll be scared to death.
Nope, she has more dreams, of the center being beautiful, with gardens of flowers, and of a large Black man who will save the city. Aaaaand, whom Ron is supPOSed to befriend. Lo and behold, whilst they’re serving meals at the homeless center, a huge and verrrrry angry man barges in, swinging and bellowing that he will KILL the person who stole his shoes!
That’s him, Deborah squeals with elation. Be friends with him, go on, go!
Soon, Ron is begrudgingly acting on her prodding, but he’s verrrry shallow and superficial about it. He’s very aware of his status, of his dignity. And thoughts of parading this homeless Black “friend” around like a Boy Scout’s Badge fill his head. But as he gets to know Denver, as Denver begins relaxing his fears, letting go of his anger, the two sloooowly start building a true and real friendship, tho’ while Denver’s love for “Miss Debbie” is complete, he’s stiiiiill rather wary of Ron.
Tragedy strikes when Miss Debbie is diagnosed with metastasized cancer, and her prognosis is grim. Thus ensues months of treatment and prayer vigils where all whom she touched and cared for come together in hope and prayer.
This is the second time I’ve listened to Same Kind of Different as Me, so I wasn’t expecting to tear up like I did this go-round. Alas, Denver’s steadfast love and devotion, his words from God, DID inspire a big ol’ lump in my throat and as people started letting go, telling her she could go on? Oh gosh, a tear or two slid down my cheeks.
I admit that I found the first part of the book exasperating as there were chapters on Ron’s early life of “poverty” and Denver’s early life as a DESPERATELY impoverished modern day slave in a no win sharecropper system which were vastly different. I mean, Ron is bemoaning his mother’s handiwork in sewing clothes that made him look outta place, and Denver was watching his Big Ma burn to death when their shack burned down. See what I mean? There’s plenty of that.
Still, while I did wonder at the huuuuuge Black/Rich White Guy divide, this was awesome. Denver blossomed under Miss Debbie’s unconditional love, and he had patience with Ron’s cluelessness about surviving in a world where you have nothing and have to fight to keep your skin intact.
Like I mentioned in the opening, the two narrators are fanTAStic, and I enjoyed the back and forth. What I did NOT enjoy was the ear-splitting harmonica “music” that opened and closed each chapter. THAT was bad enough, but the ending sentences for each chapter were often poignant, but they were absolutely drowned out by britzing and bratzing harmonica shrieks. Okay okay, it was music (Or was s’posed to be…!), but still. Unnecessary.
Also unnecessary was the final hour of how the film got to be made, of the trials and tribulations. I mean, whazzaaa? It seemed like a pat on the back rather than the many many itty bitty in the right place at just the right time “miracles” that happened.
Those things aside? I reeeeeally enjoyed this book, and am awfully glad I didn’t go for a tie-breaker for My Next Listen but chose to do both top vote getters. Wonderful.
Thank y’all. Y’all picked two that brought me to tears!
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