Maurice had never met anyone like Laura and Laura had never met anyone like Maurice. They were from two different worlds. Laura doesn't know why she stopped and turned back after Maurice asked her for some money, but she is glad she did.

Through Maurice, Laura learned about the life he and thousands of others were living on a daily basis....not a pleasant life at all. Laura was helping Maurice to live a better life at least one day a week, and it seemed to be paying off since she could see a change in him even though he had to go back to his horrible living conditions after he left her.

As well as learning about the living conditions of others, the author also gave the reader a chance to find out that her childhood/family life was not very easy.....her father was an abusive alcoholic, and her mother sat by not being able to defend herself or her children. Obviously the author's childhood and the childhood of her brothers and sisters had an impact on their entire life and on her decision to turn back and fulfill Maurice’s plea for help.
The descriptions in the book are very detailed and heartbreaking but also heartwarming. You will become a part of the lives of every character and you will feel their pain and happiness.
An Invisible Thread is the perfect title for this book. The book brought to the surface that we all have a connection to other human beings even though that connection may not be outwardly visible.
I truly enjoyed the book because of the honesty of feelings and of human kindness and human connection. This is a must read. Laura Schroff is a brave woman to reveal all this about her life, but it definitely will make you realize that no matter how small the gesture may be, we can make a difference for someone else. 5/5

Our book club has been reading a Christmas-themed book in December for the past ten years. Why? I don't know. Someone somewhere thought that this was a good idea for a book club. Well, it's not.

For the most part, all the books we've read for Christmas or about the holidays have been so awful that we decided to change our December selection to books that are uplifting and inspiring instead.

So "An Invisible Thread" by Laura Schorff (non-fiction/memoir) was a perfect choice! It was a positive and inspiring story but also provided an insightful look into urban poverty in New York City.

I would highly recommend this book for a holiday-themed book club discussion. The only other book that I would recommend for a holiday book was Mr. Ives' Christmas by Oscar Hijuelos.