An Invisible Thread Book Summary - An Invisible Thread Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

An Invisible Thread summary

Name: An Invisible Thread
Rating: 4.7 (22 reviews)
Author: Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski

Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski

The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny

4.7 (22 ratings)

18 mins

What is An Invisible Thread about?

An Invisible Thread (2011) recounts the story of the incredible and unlikely friendship between a successful businesswoman and a poverty-stricken young boy – a friendship that ultimately changed both of their lives forever.

Table of Contents

An Invisible Thread
summarized in 9 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 9

What’s in it for me? See the impact a chance meeting can have.

Life is busy. We hurry to get to work, pick up the kids from school, get groceries and do errands. In our constant hurry we rarely see the people around us. Just think of all the people you pass on the street who don’t have homes or schools, or errands to run – who look and live nothing like you do. How would your life change if you stopped and looked at the people you usually rush past?

This is the story of Laura, an advertising executive and one of the authors of this book, and an eleven-year-old boy named Maurice. It’s about how their unlikely friendship challenged and changed their lives. It’s the story of what can happen if you raise your eyes from the pavement and look at the people walking it.

In these blinks, you’ll discover

why lunch in a brown paper bag says that someone cares about you;
how a holiday recital changed Maurice’s view on parenting; and
why having a huge dinner table epitomized Maurice’s ambitions in life.

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, Caucasian and 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.

A tough upbringing nearly killed Maurice before he ever met Laura.

Before his fortuitous meeting with Laura, Maurice had only known extreme poverty. He’d grown up in an unstable and often life-threatening environment.

Born into a world of criminality and violence, Maurice was neglected by his father, a feared member of Brooklyn’s Tomahawks gang. Once, while in his father’s care, Maurice, half-starved, was left to scrounge for food in garbage cans.

Laura’s childhood and previous experiences taught her the importance of getting a lucky break.

Laura’s own childhood in suburban New Jersey was fraught with tension and chaos, from which she’d longed to escape.

Her father was the kind of alcoholic who is kind and pleasant during the day, but after drinking gets bitter and angry – and prone to violent outbursts. Laura’s mother wasn’t one to provide much clarity regarding these outbursts; the next morning, she would simply tell the kids to act as if nothing had happened.

Laura and Maurice’s first meetings were important for establishing trust.

After Laura took Maurice out to eat for the first time, Maurice thought, quite naturally, that this friendly white lady would be done with him. But Laura couldn’t get him out of her mind; she wanted to know more about him. What was his story? What could she do to help?

She initially questioned her intentions; helping Maurice was giving her a sense of fulfillment that her job and single life in Manhattan simply didn’t offer. She wondered if she was being patronizing or exploitative by wanting to help Maurice. In the end, though, she realized that her intentions were pure.

A baseball game and lunches in brown paper bags were important firsts for Maurice and Laura.

Going to see the home team on the baseball diamond or getting lunch in a brown paper bag from a parent or guardian might seem like a basic part of any childhood. For Maurice, these were deep, life-changing moments.

Taking Maurice to a New York Mets game was an eye-opening experience – for both of them. Maurice was initially excited when Laura offered to take him to a game, but when she asked Maurice to have his mom sign a permission slip, he didn’t show up at the agreed time.

Holidays in the suburbs gave Maurice hope for a new kind of life.

Baseball games and brown-bag lunches weren’t the only new experiences Maurice had as a result of his friendship with Laura. He’d never left New York City’s five boroughs before. So, when Laura took him to visit her sister’s family in the suburbs of Greenlawn, Long Island, he witnessed a family dynamic that he’d never seen before.

If you’ve lived in one-room urban apartments your entire life, seeing how a suburban family lives can lead to revelations. Indeed, Maurice was amazed at the things he saw at Laura’s sister’s house.

Balancing a personal life with her obligations to Maurice wasn’t always easy.

Many years into their friendship, Laura met Michael, a man who seemed to be the man of her dreams, someone she would like to marry. Unfortunately, however, this new relationship eventually led to difficulties. Ultimately, she had to choose between her marriage and her friendship with Maurice.

When Laura first met Michael, he seemed like the perfect guy, but there was a catch. On the one hand, he was successful and good to her; on the other hand, he was suspicious of Maurice and refused to even allow him into his house.

When Maurice disappeared, Laura feared the worst.

Maurice was growing up, but Laura had trouble really seeing him as a budding adult. All illusions were shattered, however, when Maurice met a girl and had a child with her.

Laura voiced her disapproval, believing it irresponsible to have a child while so young. But it didn’t matter. Maurice needed to let Laura go in order to leave boyhood and become a man.

Maurice and Laura both learned a great deal through their extraordinary friendship.

On Laura’s fiftieth birthday, she decided to throw a big party and surround herself with friends and family. After numerous toasts, Maurice stood up and shared what he’d learned from his friendship with Laura.

Maurice and Laura both believe that they are lucky to have met each other. Maurice likes to say that “the lord sent me an angel,” but Laura also believes that Maurice was brought into her life with the help of some higher power or guiding hand.

Want to see all full key ideas from An Invisible Thread?

Key ideas in An Invisible Thread

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

Best quote from An Invisible Thread

When we met we were just two people with complicated pasts and fragile dreams.

—Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski

About the Author

Laura Schroff is a former ad executive for numerous publications, including USA Today, People magazine and InStyle.

Alex Tresniowkski is a senior writer for People magazine and author of The Vendetta, which inspired Public Enemies, the 2009 Michael Mann movie. His other books include Labor of Love and When Life Gives You Lemons.

Who should read An Invisible Thread?

Anyone who enjoys a heartwarming story
People curious about 1980s New York
Those interested in the benefits of altruism

Categories with An Invisible Thread

Motivation & Inspiration Biography & Memoir

Books like An Invisible Thread

If You Tell

Gregg Olsen

A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood

22 min

3.9

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

Everything I Know about Love

A Little Girl, an Earthquake, and the Making of a Family

A True Account of a Multiple Murder and its Consequences

19 min

4.2

Mad Honey

Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

A Classic Novel on the American Dream of the Roaring Twenties

A Dystopian Classic on the Dark Side of Human Nature and Survival

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Romantic Obsession

16 min

4.2

The Ultimate Sales Machine

Chet Holmes

Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies

27 min

4.1

Every Job Is a Sales Job

Cindy McGovern

How to Use the Art of Selling to Win at Work

18 min

4.3

The Office BFFs

Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey

Tales of the Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There

19 min

Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager

Kory Kogon

A FranklinCovey Title

The Modern Prometheus

19 min

4.7

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen R. Covey

Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

19 min

4.7

Fanatical Prospecting

Jeb Blount

The Ultimate Guide to Opening Sales Conversations and Filling the Pipeline by Leveraging Social Selling, Telephone, Email, Text, and Cold Calling

28 min

4.4

Everyone Deserves a Great Manager

Scott Jeffrey Miller

The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team

How to Boost Cognitive Health, Performance and Power

The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life

The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal

How Ultra High Performers Leverage Sales-Specific Emotional Intelligence to Close the Complex Deal

18 min

4.6

Love More, Fight Less

Gina Senarighi

Communication Skills Every Couple Needs

14 min

3.8

The Power of Ideals

William Damon and Anne Colby

The Real Story of Moral Choice

A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity

Why You Can't Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again

A Philosophical Masterpiece on the Boundaries Between Good and Evil

366 Meditations on Power, Seduction, Mastery, Strategy, and Human Nature

How to Drop the Games of Seduction and Discover the Power of Intimacy

18 min

4.3

The Devil in the White City

Erik Larson

Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America

11 min

3.8

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

Joseph Campbell

Understanding the Hero’s Journey Through Psychology and Mythology

16 min

4.5

How to Be an Adult in Relationships

David Richo

The Five Keys to Mindful Loving

26 min

4.6

Improving Your Relationship For Dummies

Paula Hall

The hands-on, practical guide for couples

End Self-Sabotage and Demand Your Life Back

A Magical Fable About Following Your Dreams

7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present, & Wildly Productive

The Hidden Determinants of Human Behaviour

Simple Truths for Going Easier on Yourself, Embracing Imperfection & Loving Your Way to a Better Life

The Science of Happily Ever After

Ty Tashiro

What Really Matters in the Quest for Enduring Love

A Southern Gothic Tale on Death, Resistance to Change and Isolation

The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome

A Fantasy Novel About the Choices That Lead to a Life Well-Lived

Fire Your Boss, Do What You Love and Work Better to Live More

The Small Changes That Change Everything

Inside Corporate America's Social Justice Scam

23 min

4.0

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.