An Invisible Thread: The true story of the bond between a harried sales executive an eleven-year-old panhandler and an unlikely meeting with destiny

I devoured this book in 2 days. Not only was it a nice change of pace from the dark novels I've been reading, but it was an amazing story of 2 people whose 'chance' meeting seems predestined. Although completely different in almost all ways, Laura (a white female 30-something Manhattan executive) & Maurice (a black & nearly homeless boy) develop a friendship that has survived for 30 years. Laura provides Maurice with safety, consistency and nonjudgmental love until he is in his late teens. Then she gets married and moves away, and Maurice is on his own. He has learned street survival skills but also has learned the difference between right and wrong, and despite some poor choices he matures into a good man. She feels remorse for feeling like she abandoned him and he is embarrassed because he thinks he disappointed her, but they do reunite after a few years.

Throughout the book we learn how he overcame growing up in his dysfunctional, criminal, addicted family and his desperate living conditions, and about how Laura survived growing up with her dysfunctional, violent, alcoholic father. "Resilient" is the word I would use to describe these 2 people, and even through their disappointment with each other, the bond of trust and affection was never completely broken.

I don't think it's a spoiler alert to suggest that, if you like having a picture of the characters in your head while you are reading, go to the pictures at the end of the book (they were at the end on Kindle) and see them throughout the years - or just check out a few pictures at a time as the timeline plays out!