*originally posted 2010 on another site
I was a little skeptical of this book and for good reason. It’s certainly heartwarming, but that’s just not something I enjoy reading most of the time. The book starts out strong but becomes more and more depressing as it continues. It was to the point that I was reading it just to be finished with it.
The story is told from two narrators: Ron- a wealthy white man in Ft. Worth and Denver- a homeless black man in the same town. They tell their own stories for a bit, and these were my favorite part. I enjoyed learning where they both started their lives. They are very short vignettes, so I could easily use some in the classroom. Ron meets his wife, Debbie, and after several years of marriage, she decides that God has told her to do some good in life. Now, I’m not the religious type, so this book quickly lost its appeal simply because the level of Christianity mentioned. I’d rather hear of people who helped the homeless because they wanted to, rather than because God led them down that path. In any case, the friendship that was formed was meaningful and true. Ron and Denver became reluctant friends, but each found something special within the other.
Halfway through the book, Debbie is diagnosed with cancer. There’s where the fun ends. It went downhill for me at that point. I just don’t enjoy reading about people’s sadness.
I imagine this book is inspirational to a lot of people, which is perfectly understandable. It just isn’t my thing…
Pleasant Nights 