I’m not sure who recommended this book but I thank you. It was a pleasant read. It had such kindness mixed with sadness; but it also made me think. I wonder that if we were to believe in predestination, then we would have to admit that each person that enters our life has a purpose. We would have to admit that every person that crosses our path, for no matter how long, was meant to be. Think about that.
The publisher doesn’t have reader’s guide for this book but I found some talking points for next gathering at Lit Lovers. There is a website for the book that has biographical information Same Kind f Different; check out the video on that site.
1. At the beginning of the book, what kind of person is Ron Hall? How would you describe him (how does he describe himself)? Why does he agree to volunteer at the homeless shelter, and what is his initial reaction in doing so?
2. Talk about the trajectory of Denver Moore’s life. What events have landed him in the homeless shelter? Discuss the differences between his life and Ron Hall’s. What is Denver’s world view?
3. Talk about Deborah Hall? What inspires her life? What does she think of Denver Moore?
4. Eventually, Denver and Ron, two men who have lived vastly different lives, become close friends. What do the two see in one another? What draws them together?
5. What are the symbolic implications of the conversation about how white men fish, especially their catch-and-release method? What does that conversation say about each man, and what is the underlying message that Denver is trying to pass onto Ron?
6. What is the meaning of the book’s title, “Same Kind of Difference as Me”? What does it refer to?
7. How do both men change by the end of the book? What do they learn from or teach each other?
8. This is a story about how hate and prejudice can be overcome by love and grace. How difficult is that achievement in most of our lives? What can this book teach us?
9. Does this book inspire you? If so, in what ways?
Reading to Gather 