Love, Adversity, Courage, Honor...Such a Special Book

This book could only be real. If it was a work of fiction the reader would have trouble accepting it all. The writing is done by both men, Ron Hall and Denver Moore, in a back and forth dialogue. This gives the reader the privelage of reading many of the events from very different perspectives. It also lets the reader see how different the voice is for each of these men.

Ron Hall is a wealthy Texas art dealer while Denver Moore is an often violent homeless man who was raised in the south as a virtual slave who picked cotton all his life.  Only very specific circumstance would have these two men meet. They do so when Ron Hall makes a commitment to his wife to work on their marriage with all his heart and start joining her in her passion of Christian volunteer work.

He goes to the shelter with the idea of helping the downtrodden for the day. And eventually ends up with a life changing friendship.

There are ups and downs and raw honesty for these men. My favorite part of the book takes place in a Starbucks where Dallas is amazed and a bit overwhelmed. He finally confronts Ron about his "question" of them becoming friends.  Dallas is so straight forward about what friendship means to him and how if he is going to be Ron's friend it is a full on commitment. Once this commitment is made their lives as life long friends begins.

This friendship is such a gift to each other and to us as the reader. I am always brought to joyful tears by this book and hope everyone takes the time to read it. It can be read slowly or all at once but this is a book to savor always.