An Invisible Thread

Plot Summary
"An Invisible Thread" is a non-fiction book written by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski.

About the Author

Laura Schroff is a former advertising sales executive who worked for over thirty years with several major
media companies and publications, including Time Inc. and People. Her book, An
Invisible Thread, became an instant New York Times bestselling book and later was a #1 New York
Times and international bestseller. As a keynote speaker at over 300 events for schools, charity
organizations, libraries, and bookstores, Laura encourages her audience to look for their own invisible
thread connections and highlights the importance of opening up their eyes and hearts to the opportunities
where they can make a difference in the lives of others. She lives in Westchester, New York, with her
feisty poodle, Emma.

Alex Tresniowski is a writer and bestselling author who lives and works in New York. He was a writer for
both Time and People  magazines, handling mostly human-interest stories. He is the author or coauthor
of more than twenty books. For more about this story and the author, please visit AlexTres.com.

The book tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Laura Schroff, a successful advertising
executive, and Maurice, an 11-year-old panhandler whom she met on the streets of New York City in
1985.

The story begins in 1985, when Laura is on her way to work and passes by Maurice, who was asking for
money, on the street. She initially brushes him off, but something about him compels her to give him
some money. She continued on her way, but something about the encounter stayed with her, and she
found herself thinking about Maurice for the rest of the day.

The next day, Laura decided to go back to the same spot where she had met Maurice and offer to take
him to lunch. From that day on, she became a constant presence in Maurice's life. Their relationship
deepened and she became a mentor to him, providing him with food, clothes and a listening ear. She
took him to the library, museums and cultural events. She helped him to stay out of trouble with the
law. She also encouraged him to read and study, and she helped him with his schoolwork.

As Maurice grows older, he faces many challenges, including poverty, violence, and the criminal justice
system. Despite these obstacles, he is determined to improve his life and with the help of Laura, he is
able to do so. He graduates high school and goes on to college.

Despite their vastly different backgrounds, the two formed a strong bond, and Schroff became a mother
figure to Maurice. Over the years, their relationship deepened and evolved, and Schroff helped Maurice
to overcome many obstacles and achieve his dreams. He went on to graduate high school and enroll in
college.

However, their relationship was not without its challenges. Maurice struggled with poverty, violence and
loss of loved ones. Laura also had to deal with her own personal struggles, such as her father's death

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and her mother's illness. But through it all, they remained committed to each other, and their friendship
proved to be a source of strength and inspiration for both of them.

The book is a powerful story of the transformative power of kindness and the strength of the human
spirit. It shows how one small act of kindness can change a person's life for the better, and how the
bond between two people can transcend their differences and endure for decades. It's a heartwarming,
inspiring and uplifting story that will leave the readers feeling hopeful and grateful for the power of
human connections.

Throughout the book, the authors explore themes of poverty, mentorship, and the power of human
connection. The book is a heartwarming and inspiring story that illustrates the impact one person can
have on another's life, and the positive difference that can be made when people open their hearts and
reach out to others.

An invisible thread may connect the people who are destined to meet.

Maybe it sounds cheesy, but some chance encounters seem to be guided by fate. At least that’s how it
seemed when the author, Laura Schroff, and Maurice Mazyck met on the busy streets of downtown
New York City on Labor Day in 1986.

Laura Schroff, single at the age of 35, was a successful advertising executive for USA Today. Maurice was
an eleven-year-old African American kid on the verge of homelessness.

Laura had plenty of reasons to keep on walking when Maurice asked her for spare change. She didn’t
have to stop and take him to McDonald’s for lunch. After all, she was a busy advertising executive; her
schedule was tight, and stopping to treat eleven-year-olds to lunch was certainly not part of it.

Furthermore, the mid-1980s witnessed a dramatic widening of the gap between rich and poor; more
and more people were forced to live on the street. Because poverty was so prevalent, it would have
been easy for Laura to ignore Maurice and simply continue on her way.

So why did she stop? The only explanation Laura can give is that the hand of destiny somehow guided
this chance meeting. There is a Chinese proverb that speaks of an invisible thread  that connects those
that are destined to meet; in other cultures, it’s been called a string of fate or a thread of destiny.

Whether it was fate or serendipity, Laura stopped in her tracks that afternoon, and rather than just
giving Maurice the spare change he had asked for, she took him to lunch. With this action she began a
friendship that would continue for the next 30 years.