An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-year-old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny - by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski

Imagine yourself walking somewhere in Manhattan when suddenly a young boy, perhaps around the age of eleven, asks you for some money.  What would you do?  Would you stop and give the panhandler some cash to use for God knows what?  Would you not hesitate for a moment and just keep right on walking?  Back in 1986, Laura Schroff chose to keep on walking.  But then something inside her told her to turn around and go back.  To this day, Schroff is grateful she heard that little voice and listened.

Laura Schroff and Maurice Maczyk couldn’t have been living more different lives.  Laura was a successful  single businesswoman.  Maurice was a kid just trying to get by.  Laura was living alone in a luxury apartment, proud of her accomplishments.  Maurice was living in chaos, surrounded by family members doing drugs and coming in and out of his life.  That day in Manhattan their lives would converge and neither would be the same after.

"An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, and circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle. But it will never break."   -  Ancient Chinese Proverb

An Invisible Thread shows that one small act of kindness can lead to monumental changes in people’s lives.  Laura Schroff didn’t just give Maurice a meal.  She showed him trust.  She believed in him.  She demonstrated that some people will stay in your life no matter what.  She became his family without ever trying to replace his biological family.  She offered him an alternative view of the world.  Maurice offered Laura many things as well.  Never having her own biological child, Maurice showed up in her life and allowed her to love him.  He taught her the true value of money and the real meaning of lunch in a brown paper bag.  To this day, their relationship endures.

I enjoyed this book immensely.  It is rare to find a book that leaves you feeling like you’re a better person for having read it, but An Invisible Thread was that type of a book for me.  It gave me hope and it put a smile on my face.  I’m grateful that I received this book complimentarily from Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, in exchange for an honest review.