"Indeed it was the perfect house---if it was available. Even if it wasn't available, I thought morosely as I walked back to the terrace, it was the perfect house."
-Claire Malloy, from the novel
I admit I judged this book by its cover---a clever title and jacket reminiscent of the magazine with a similar-sounding name. This was my first novel from this author, surprising since she's quite a prolific mystery writer. This was one of the Claire Malloy series, one of at least 18. I enjoyed it particularly for its quirky characters and witty style. I will definitely read another in the series one of these days.
At the outset Claire, who has recently returned from her honeymoon, is house hunting. About the time she finds the"perfect house,", she is told that the original owner died mysteriously, then her realtor goes missing and strangely one by one three more people end up dead. Claire takes it upon herself to investigate. She reminds me of Miss Julia in the series by Ann B. Ross, one of my favorite characters and also something of a detective wannabe with a delightful sense of humor.
I found the plot a little confusing but that may have been due to my stop-and-start reading of it. I found it rather unbelievable that the "perfect house" in question was always open to the comings and goings of numerous characters and some even ate and drank from the stock although there was a suspected poisoning at the site.
Deader Homes and Gardens gets a rating of 3.5 from me. It was a breezy, entertaining summer read.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy
"Noel got by well by not thinking too deeply on anything: not about his dead-end job in Hall's; not about the hours and money he spent in Old Man Casey's pub; not about the religious mania of his parents, who thought that the Rosary was the answer to most of the world's problems. Noel would not think about the lack of a steady girlfriend in his life. He just hadn't met anyone, that's all it was. Nor indeed did he worry about the lack of any kind of mates. Some places were easy to find friends. Hall's wasn't one of those places. Noel had decided that the very best way to cope with things not being so great was not to think about them at all. It had worked well so far. Why fix things if they weren't broken?"
-from the novel, page 11
I selected the quote above because of the description of Noel, the main character I would say, near the beginning of the book. As you can see, he didn't have much of a life. Things changed drastically for Noel during the course of the novel!
I chose this book for our book club in part because I could check out a Book Bundle, multiple copies. A few friends had recommended it in the past. It was not a challenging read except for the MANY characters which I finally starting noting on paper to keep track of who was who. I read it in about 5 days. I liked it well enough; I suppose I will rate it a 3.
I really didn't think it had much of a plot. I guess it was more like a whole bunch of stories of people who ended up "minding Frankie." Many dysfunctional families and some flawed individuals came into play and most were changed for the better by baby Frankie. And then there was Cousin Emily who seemed to be bigger than life, a little too good to be true.
I did enjoy the humor of some of the Irish expressions such as "Am I for the chop?" meaning "Am I going to die?" and "gave up the gargle" meaning "quit drinking."
Tomorrow our Page Turners group meets to discuss the novel. It will be interesting to hear their thoughts.
****
The group met to discuss Minding Frankie and everyone liked it giving ratings of 3 and 4. The average was 3.6. Though there were many characters we decided most were likeable. We may have spent more time discussing Moira than any other: What WAS her problem anyway? Some members had read several books by Maeve Binchy and knew that some of her characters reappear. There was speculation that perhaps Moira would show up again and have a chance to redeem herself. We decided we just might read another of Binchy's novels several months down the road.
-from the novel, page 11
I selected the quote above because of the description of Noel, the main character I would say, near the beginning of the book. As you can see, he didn't have much of a life. Things changed drastically for Noel during the course of the novel!
I chose this book for our book club in part because I could check out a Book Bundle, multiple copies. A few friends had recommended it in the past. It was not a challenging read except for the MANY characters which I finally starting noting on paper to keep track of who was who. I read it in about 5 days. I liked it well enough; I suppose I will rate it a 3.
I really didn't think it had much of a plot. I guess it was more like a whole bunch of stories of people who ended up "minding Frankie." Many dysfunctional families and some flawed individuals came into play and most were changed for the better by baby Frankie. And then there was Cousin Emily who seemed to be bigger than life, a little too good to be true.
I did enjoy the humor of some of the Irish expressions such as "Am I for the chop?" meaning "Am I going to die?" and "gave up the gargle" meaning "quit drinking."
Tomorrow our Page Turners group meets to discuss the novel. It will be interesting to hear their thoughts.
****
The group met to discuss Minding Frankie and everyone liked it giving ratings of 3 and 4. The average was 3.6. Though there were many characters we decided most were likeable. We may have spent more time discussing Moira than any other: What WAS her problem anyway? Some members had read several books by Maeve Binchy and knew that some of her characters reappear. There was speculation that perhaps Moira would show up again and have a chance to redeem herself. We decided we just might read another of Binchy's novels several months down the road.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Out of Warranty by Haywood Smith
"God, I know you can do anything. Please send me a good Christian man to marry. One with decent health insurance, and I will give you all the glory and praise."
-prayer of Cassie Jones, from the novel
I liked this quote because it hints about the plot without giving much away. (I try to never be a "spoiler" in my blogs!) And the dedication pointed out a theme even before the story began.
Out of Warranty was a very pleasant read when I needed something light. The protagonist, Cassie Jones, is a baby boomer facing problems of aging, declining health and mourning her late husband. I can surely identify with the first two but, thank goodness, not the last. I am fortunately not facing the serious health problems Cassie has either, although I am at least 10 years older than she.
The author alternated chapters between Cassie and Jack, the other main character. It was interesting that Cassie's parts are in first person while Jack's are written in second. Cassie and Jack meet at a doctor's office near the beginning of the book and immediately have pretty low opinions of each other. She calls him the curmudgeon and he calls her the "raccoon woman." It is rather intriguing how their similar diagnoses and treatments seem to force them into a friendship.
Being a Christian, I could easily relate to Cassie's prayers and references to God. Since I'm a reader I was delighted that both Cassie and Jack are avid readers and I am familiar with several books and authors they mentioned, such as Pillars of the Earth and James Patterson. I've been through hassles with contractors so I understood Cassie's frustrations in that regard.
I thought Ms. Smith was a new author for me but in looking over her other titles, I have read at least one of her Red Hat series. (In her acknowledgments, she mentions her Red Hat Club friends and I happen to be a Red Hatter, too!) I really enjoyed this novel and will look for others by Haywood Smith. I am rating it a 4 for fun!
-prayer of Cassie Jones, from the novel
I liked this quote because it hints about the plot without giving much away. (I try to never be a "spoiler" in my blogs!) And the dedication pointed out a theme even before the story began.
Out of Warranty was a very pleasant read when I needed something light. The protagonist, Cassie Jones, is a baby boomer facing problems of aging, declining health and mourning her late husband. I can surely identify with the first two but, thank goodness, not the last. I am fortunately not facing the serious health problems Cassie has either, although I am at least 10 years older than she.
The author alternated chapters between Cassie and Jack, the other main character. It was interesting that Cassie's parts are in first person while Jack's are written in second. Cassie and Jack meet at a doctor's office near the beginning of the book and immediately have pretty low opinions of each other. She calls him the curmudgeon and he calls her the "raccoon woman." It is rather intriguing how their similar diagnoses and treatments seem to force them into a friendship.
Being a Christian, I could easily relate to Cassie's prayers and references to God. Since I'm a reader I was delighted that both Cassie and Jack are avid readers and I am familiar with several books and authors they mentioned, such as Pillars of the Earth and James Patterson. I've been through hassles with contractors so I understood Cassie's frustrations in that regard.
I thought Ms. Smith was a new author for me but in looking over her other titles, I have read at least one of her Red Hat series. (In her acknowledgments, she mentions her Red Hat Club friends and I happen to be a Red Hatter, too!) I really enjoyed this novel and will look for others by Haywood Smith. I am rating it a 4 for fun!
Friday, July 5, 2013
Miss Julia to the Rescue by Ann B. Ross
"Sunday morning I was with Lloyd in our usual pew at the First Presbyterian Church and thankful to be there. You can have your snakes and your tambourines, your hooks and screws and electric needles. Speedos, too. Give me the King James Version, a hymnal and Communion every quarter. Even with Pastor Ledbetter's sermons, I wouldn't trade a good traditional worship service for all the tea in China."
-Miss Julia, from the novel, page 298
The quote I chose won't make much sense to you until you read the novel but after you do, you'll find it amusing! I absolutely LOVE the whole Miss Julia series! There are at least a dozen titles; I have read them all and they are all perfectly delightful. Miss Julia is a lovely lady of the South, North Carolina to be exact, and one of about my same age. Though quite prim and proper, she gets into all kinds of shenanigans usually following her heart or trying to right some wrongs. In Miss Julia to the Rescue, a loved one goes missing and she sets out to find him. In the midst of that rescue and afterward, she tries to save a young man, a mere acquaintance, from the clutches of a "minister" of a very strange cult.
I particularly enjoy reading a Miss Julia novel after finishing a more challenging book. I had just finished reading Victory at Yorktown, a pretty heavy historical fiction, when I found this one on the library shelf and realized Ms. Ross had published one I had not read. Perfect timing! I inhaled it in a couple of days.
If you have not yet discovered this series, I recommend you begin with the first one titled Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. It sets up the characters and setting. I have not necessarily read the books in order and I enjoyed them anyway.
I just visited www.missjulia.com. There is a video of the author, Ann B. Ross that I found entertaining and enlightening. I am surprised it took me this long to check it out. On the website I learned there is an even newer novel: Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble. I can't wait to get my hands on it!
-Miss Julia, from the novel, page 298
The quote I chose won't make much sense to you until you read the novel but after you do, you'll find it amusing! I absolutely LOVE the whole Miss Julia series! There are at least a dozen titles; I have read them all and they are all perfectly delightful. Miss Julia is a lovely lady of the South, North Carolina to be exact, and one of about my same age. Though quite prim and proper, she gets into all kinds of shenanigans usually following her heart or trying to right some wrongs. In Miss Julia to the Rescue, a loved one goes missing and she sets out to find him. In the midst of that rescue and afterward, she tries to save a young man, a mere acquaintance, from the clutches of a "minister" of a very strange cult.
I particularly enjoy reading a Miss Julia novel after finishing a more challenging book. I had just finished reading Victory at Yorktown, a pretty heavy historical fiction, when I found this one on the library shelf and realized Ms. Ross had published one I had not read. Perfect timing! I inhaled it in a couple of days.
If you have not yet discovered this series, I recommend you begin with the first one titled Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. It sets up the characters and setting. I have not necessarily read the books in order and I enjoyed them anyway.
I just visited www.missjulia.com. There is a video of the author, Ann B. Ross that I found entertaining and enlightening. I am surprised it took me this long to check it out. On the website I learned there is an even newer novel: Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble. I can't wait to get my hands on it!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Victory at Yorktown by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen
"With a heart full of love and gratitude I now take leave of you; I most devoutly wish that your later days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable."
-George Washington, from his farewell address to his officers
When I spotted this book at the library, it captured my attention right away. It seemed to fit right into our last few months of educational travel. My husband and I had recently participated in a Road Scholar program called "Colonial and Revolutionary Virginia: Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown." As a part of the program we heard a lecture on the battle, visited the National Battlefield and saw a film, the siege lines, Surrender Field, the monument and the town of York. We also had met "Marquis de Lafayette" in Williamsburg. The next week we were in Washington, DC where we visited the Museum of American History of the Smithsonian and especially enjoyed the exhibit on Yorktown. Also when we went to the museum at Mount Vernon, there was more on that famous battle. A bit later in the week, we were viewing the White House from Lafayette Square and realized that two of four statues at the corners of the square are Lafayette and Rochambeau, French generals who were indispensable to Washington in the victory at Yorktown.
I found the novel well-written with an interesting plot though I couldn't really call it a "page turner." I am sure it would be too much history and not enough other stuff for many of my reader-friends. At any rate I enjoyed it because of my interest in this period of American history and all the background I had acquired recently as I mentioned. I think I would rate it a 3.5 if decimals were allowed.
The authors did not include a section at the end to say what was fiction in the novel. I knew enough to feel that most of the description of military engagements and surrounding events was researched thoroughly and historically accurate. I am guessing that two of the main characters, Allen van Dorn and Peter Wellsley, are fictional. They provide much of the conflict since they had been childhood friends and were at the time of the story on opposite sides of the revolution. The plot revolves around the two of them and give some suspense to the plot because anyone who knows a smidgen of American history knows how the battle turned out! And even the title would reveal the outcome at Yorktown!
One important theme of Victory at Yorktown is the inestimable aid of the French in the triumph at Yorktown, which essentially ended the Revolution. The authors bring this out in many ways, starting with the dedication. One is given to wonder what would have happened to Washington's army had the French not stepped in as they did!
Supposedly this novel is a conclusion to a trilogy on George Washington. I may want to read another one of these days.
-George Washington, from his farewell address to his officers
When I spotted this book at the library, it captured my attention right away. It seemed to fit right into our last few months of educational travel. My husband and I had recently participated in a Road Scholar program called "Colonial and Revolutionary Virginia: Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown." As a part of the program we heard a lecture on the battle, visited the National Battlefield and saw a film, the siege lines, Surrender Field, the monument and the town of York. We also had met "Marquis de Lafayette" in Williamsburg. The next week we were in Washington, DC where we visited the Museum of American History of the Smithsonian and especially enjoyed the exhibit on Yorktown. Also when we went to the museum at Mount Vernon, there was more on that famous battle. A bit later in the week, we were viewing the White House from Lafayette Square and realized that two of four statues at the corners of the square are Lafayette and Rochambeau, French generals who were indispensable to Washington in the victory at Yorktown.
I found the novel well-written with an interesting plot though I couldn't really call it a "page turner." I am sure it would be too much history and not enough other stuff for many of my reader-friends. At any rate I enjoyed it because of my interest in this period of American history and all the background I had acquired recently as I mentioned. I think I would rate it a 3.5 if decimals were allowed.
The authors did not include a section at the end to say what was fiction in the novel. I knew enough to feel that most of the description of military engagements and surrounding events was researched thoroughly and historically accurate. I am guessing that two of the main characters, Allen van Dorn and Peter Wellsley, are fictional. They provide much of the conflict since they had been childhood friends and were at the time of the story on opposite sides of the revolution. The plot revolves around the two of them and give some suspense to the plot because anyone who knows a smidgen of American history knows how the battle turned out! And even the title would reveal the outcome at Yorktown!
One important theme of Victory at Yorktown is the inestimable aid of the French in the triumph at Yorktown, which essentially ended the Revolution. The authors bring this out in many ways, starting with the dedication. One is given to wonder what would have happened to Washington's army had the French not stepped in as they did!
Supposedly this novel is a conclusion to a trilogy on George Washington. I may want to read another one of these days.
Friday, June 28, 2013
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
"So we decided to hold parties and pretend each week had become the new year. Each week we could forget past wrongs done to us. We weren't allowed to think a bad thought. We feasted, we laughed, we played games, lost and won, we told the best stories. And each week, we could hope to be lucky. That hope was our only joy. And that's how we came to call our little parties Joy Luck."
-Suyuan Woo to her daughter, Jing-Mei Woo
I quickly became interested in reading The Joy Luck Club when I saw that the public library was providing many activities centered around it in May. This was a part of The Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts "to revitalize the role of literary reading in American popular culture."
When I found I could check out a Book Bundle, multiple copies of the novel, I decided it would be our book club selection for June.
On the last Saturday in May, I attended a lecture at the library delivered by Dr. Guiyou Huang titled "Joy Luck Club, The Book, the Movie, the Author." I had just begun reading the novel and Dr. Huang's talk was very helpful. The following are some of his interesting points about the novel:
Joy Luck Club, published about 24 years ago, was Amy Tan's first novel. Though the book is fiction some characters were based on Amy's family, particularly Suyuan Woo representing Amy's mother and An-Mei Hsu, her grandmother.
Dr. Huang also gave insight into the setting of the novel: China and the United States, particularly San Francisco. He provided some significant political background of both places such as the war with Japan and the communist revolution in China, and, in the U.S., the Gold Rush and the building of the railroads which had attracted numerous Chinese immigrants.
He talked about the gender relations and social marginality brought out in the novel. I was surprised to learn that some of the male chauvinism in China came from Confucious. Of course there is much contrast in the novel as American-raised daughters clash with Chinese-born mothers. This provides much of the conflict and leads to themes of parental expectations as opposed to self-determination, interracial marriage and ethnic identity, sexism, racism, and feminism.
Last he spoke of the movie, "Joy Luck Club" and related that it was a first in several ways: a departure from the Suzie Wong and Charlie Chan stereotypes and the first to use a Chinese-American director and actors. Many Chinese traditions were reintroduced, such as mah jong, Chinese New Year, Moon Fest and Chinese cuisine.
I feel lucky to have read this novel and it brought me joy. I would give it a 4 and will look for another novel by Amy Tan. Our book club did read her Saving Fish from Drowning a few years ago and didn't really love it. Dr. Huang suggests The Kitchen God's Wife, so that's next on my list. I look forward to our group's discussion of Joy Luck. We plan to go out to lunch after our meeting---a Chinese restaurant, of course! We hope to be able to view the movie together, as well.
***
Our Page Turners group met to discuss The Joy Luck Club on Thursday. Helpful volunteers provided boiled peanuts, fortune cookies, orange sections and green tea as refreshments. We had a smaller group than usual---only 10 but it IS summer and folks are traveling. We started our meeting listening to one of two tracks on a CD I had picked up at the library the day I attended the lecture on the book. I didn't mention that before, nor did I say I had helped myself to enough of the Reading Guide booklets for our members. Both the CD and the booklets were provided by the National Endowment for the Arts to enhance The Big Read. The CD had the author and other knowledgeable people talking about the novel. We found it enlightened us on some aspects of Chinese culture and the characters and events in the book. The Reading Guide included questions for our discussion as well as background on the author and a page some called a "cheat sheet" to remind the reader of who's who among the 8 main characters.
The rating for the book was 3.8 with most members voting a 4. One of the criticisms was the difficulty of jumping back and forth between two countries and keeping track of all 8 women! We all felt it introduced us to Chinese culture and perhaps some insight into problems of immigrants to which we hadn't given much thought. Most of us thought The Joy Luck Club was a worthwhile read AND it was a lovely excuse for 10 of us to meet for lunch afterward at a Chinese restaurant!
-Suyuan Woo to her daughter, Jing-Mei Woo
I quickly became interested in reading The Joy Luck Club when I saw that the public library was providing many activities centered around it in May. This was a part of The Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts "to revitalize the role of literary reading in American popular culture."
When I found I could check out a Book Bundle, multiple copies of the novel, I decided it would be our book club selection for June.
On the last Saturday in May, I attended a lecture at the library delivered by Dr. Guiyou Huang titled "Joy Luck Club, The Book, the Movie, the Author." I had just begun reading the novel and Dr. Huang's talk was very helpful. The following are some of his interesting points about the novel:
Joy Luck Club, published about 24 years ago, was Amy Tan's first novel. Though the book is fiction some characters were based on Amy's family, particularly Suyuan Woo representing Amy's mother and An-Mei Hsu, her grandmother.
Dr. Huang also gave insight into the setting of the novel: China and the United States, particularly San Francisco. He provided some significant political background of both places such as the war with Japan and the communist revolution in China, and, in the U.S., the Gold Rush and the building of the railroads which had attracted numerous Chinese immigrants.
He talked about the gender relations and social marginality brought out in the novel. I was surprised to learn that some of the male chauvinism in China came from Confucious. Of course there is much contrast in the novel as American-raised daughters clash with Chinese-born mothers. This provides much of the conflict and leads to themes of parental expectations as opposed to self-determination, interracial marriage and ethnic identity, sexism, racism, and feminism.
Last he spoke of the movie, "Joy Luck Club" and related that it was a first in several ways: a departure from the Suzie Wong and Charlie Chan stereotypes and the first to use a Chinese-American director and actors. Many Chinese traditions were reintroduced, such as mah jong, Chinese New Year, Moon Fest and Chinese cuisine.
I feel lucky to have read this novel and it brought me joy. I would give it a 4 and will look for another novel by Amy Tan. Our book club did read her Saving Fish from Drowning a few years ago and didn't really love it. Dr. Huang suggests The Kitchen God's Wife, so that's next on my list. I look forward to our group's discussion of Joy Luck. We plan to go out to lunch after our meeting---a Chinese restaurant, of course! We hope to be able to view the movie together, as well.
***
Our Page Turners group met to discuss The Joy Luck Club on Thursday. Helpful volunteers provided boiled peanuts, fortune cookies, orange sections and green tea as refreshments. We had a smaller group than usual---only 10 but it IS summer and folks are traveling. We started our meeting listening to one of two tracks on a CD I had picked up at the library the day I attended the lecture on the book. I didn't mention that before, nor did I say I had helped myself to enough of the Reading Guide booklets for our members. Both the CD and the booklets were provided by the National Endowment for the Arts to enhance The Big Read. The CD had the author and other knowledgeable people talking about the novel. We found it enlightened us on some aspects of Chinese culture and the characters and events in the book. The Reading Guide included questions for our discussion as well as background on the author and a page some called a "cheat sheet" to remind the reader of who's who among the 8 main characters.
The rating for the book was 3.8 with most members voting a 4. One of the criticisms was the difficulty of jumping back and forth between two countries and keeping track of all 8 women! We all felt it introduced us to Chinese culture and perhaps some insight into problems of immigrants to which we hadn't given much thought. Most of us thought The Joy Luck Club was a worthwhile read AND it was a lovely excuse for 10 of us to meet for lunch afterward at a Chinese restaurant!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
"I met Sister Bettie before I met Miss Debbie. She ain't no nun or nothin like that. We call her 'Sister' 'cause she's a real spiritual woman. I don't know how old Sister Bettie was when I met her, but right this minute she got a crown a' hair just as white as a cloud on a summer day, and twinklin eyes as blue as the sky them clouds go sailin in. When she's talkin to you, she'll lay a hand on your arm like she's knowed you all your life, like maybe you was her own child. And even if she keeps her hand there awhile, it don't bother you none. You just feel happy God saw fit to drop a lady like that into this world."
-Denver Moore
This book was recommended to me by a friend and I am so glad I read it. It is a marvelous story of redemption, grace and brotherly love. Ron Hall is a wealthy art dealer and Denver Moore, a poor homeless black man. They go back and forth in telling the story of how they connected. It probably never would have happened without the amazing influence of Deborah Hall, Ron's wife. I am so in awe of what she accomplished! Though a nonfiction book, this one was at times entertaining and often poignant---it made me laugh out loud and brought me to tears! My rating for this book is a 5 and I hope it will continue to inspire me.
Oddly, Same Kind of Different as Me reminded me of a Shel Silverstein poem titled "When You Turn Off the Light." It goes like this:
Small as a peanut,
Big as a giant,
We're all the same size
When we turn off the light.
Rich as a sultan,
Poor as a mite,
We're all worth the same
When we turn off the light.
Red, black or orange
Yellow or white,
We all look the same
When we turn off the light.
So maybe the way
To make everything right
Is for God to just reach out
And turn off the light!
In my interpretation, the poem says everyone is the "same kind of different!"
I loved Denver Moore's theology. For example, at the very end of the book, he says, "The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or somethin in between, this earth ain't no final restin place. So in a way, we is all homeless---just workin our way toward home." There are numerous times that Denver speaks his own truth and you just want to say "Wow!"
This book includes questions for discussion in the back, as well as an interview with the authors that was quite interesting. A friend told me she saw Ron and Denver on a talk show. I intend to see if I can find it on Youtube.
-Denver Moore
This book was recommended to me by a friend and I am so glad I read it. It is a marvelous story of redemption, grace and brotherly love. Ron Hall is a wealthy art dealer and Denver Moore, a poor homeless black man. They go back and forth in telling the story of how they connected. It probably never would have happened without the amazing influence of Deborah Hall, Ron's wife. I am so in awe of what she accomplished! Though a nonfiction book, this one was at times entertaining and often poignant---it made me laugh out loud and brought me to tears! My rating for this book is a 5 and I hope it will continue to inspire me.
Oddly, Same Kind of Different as Me reminded me of a Shel Silverstein poem titled "When You Turn Off the Light." It goes like this:
Small as a peanut,
Big as a giant,
We're all the same size
When we turn off the light.
Rich as a sultan,
Poor as a mite,
We're all worth the same
When we turn off the light.
Red, black or orange
Yellow or white,
We all look the same
When we turn off the light.
So maybe the way
To make everything right
Is for God to just reach out
And turn off the light!
In my interpretation, the poem says everyone is the "same kind of different!"
I loved Denver Moore's theology. For example, at the very end of the book, he says, "The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or somethin in between, this earth ain't no final restin place. So in a way, we is all homeless---just workin our way toward home." There are numerous times that Denver speaks his own truth and you just want to say "Wow!"
This book includes questions for discussion in the back, as well as an interview with the authors that was quite interesting. A friend told me she saw Ron and Denver on a talk show. I intend to see if I can find it on Youtube.
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