Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

I rarely read non-fiction or memoirs, but this one I made an exception for since it was chosen for our November book club. And I am so grateful to my friend Julie who picked it, because I may not have otherwise given it a chance.

Same Kind of Different As Me alternates chapters in telling the story of Denver Moore and Ron Hall and how a courageous woman's love & selflessness brought these two men together to make a difference in their community and in their own lives. I was deeply moved by their conviction, their passion and their courage. It wasn't difficult for our book club to find things to discuss and bring up examples that made us really think and evaluate our own life in regards to service to others. This story will stick with me for some time to come. I highly recommend picking this one up!

If you hadn't heard of it before, you're about to. Mark Clayman, producer of Pursuit of Happyness has been signed on to produce the film and Samuel L. Jackson will be playing the role. The movie is set to release sometime in 2010. For more info, you can visit their website: www.samekindofdifferentasme.com My suggestion though, don't look at the photos on their website or in the book itself until after you have finished reading the book, it can be a bit of a spoiler for the ending.

There's also another book that was published this last September in response to Same Kind of Different As Me, called What Difference Do It Make?: Stories of Hope and Healing. It is filled with stories from readers who were inspired and went out to make a difference in their own communities and within their own lives.

Description: A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery. An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel. A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream. A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it. It begins outside a burning plantation hut in Louisiana...and an East Texas honkey-tonk...and, without a doubt, in the heart of God. It unfolds in a Hollywood hacienda...an upscale New York Gallery...a downtown dumpster...a Texas ranch. Gritty with pain and betrayal and brutality, it also shines with an unexpected, life-changing love.

Rating: ****

Recommend: Without any hesitation.