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paroof 's review for:
An Invisible Thread
by Alex Tresniowski, Valerie Salembier, Laura Schroff
A memoir from the point of view of the "busy sales executive" was apparently on the New York Times best seller list a while back. It wasn't a beautifully written book, but the story was interesting and it didn't fall into the trap that so many memoirs do of the "it's all about me" syndrome. Which I get - it's a memoir; of course it's all about them, but I don't know how else to describe the nauseating self-centeredness. This busy sales executive, Laura Schroff, does a fairly good job of sticking to the story, giving us the necessary personal background and interpretations, without being self-indulgent. I've heard complaints that she compares her difficult up-bringing with that of Maurice's (the panhandler), but I'm confused as to why that is a complaint. She's explaining how she identified with him. It's not a contest. She acknowledges over and over again how difficult Maurice's life is.
The reason I think this book is an important read is because it gives some insight into two things. First it gives a brief, tiny glimpse into what life is like for countless children. I know we, as a country, spend a lot of time criticizing the poor and the drug addicted, but what about the children born into that poverty and addiction? How about for just a second we acknowledge their strength and resourcefulness for surviving. And look squarely in the face of their situation and acknowledge and that changing their situation isn't just an uphill battle; it's an all-out war with almost no one on their side. Secondly, it shows what an impact a small act of kindness can have. Laura tells us again and again that even though Maurice tells her how much her kindness mattered to him she believes it mattered just as much to her. It effected them both in a positive manner. Maybe Maurice would have survived anyway; maybe he would have found food another way; maybe he would have stayed out of trouble regardless; maybe he would have been a good father no matter what. But who knows? And either way, the kindness mattered.
The reason I think this book is an important read is because it gives some insight into two things. First it gives a brief, tiny glimpse into what life is like for countless children. I know we, as a country, spend a lot of time criticizing the poor and the drug addicted, but what about the children born into that poverty and addiction? How about for just a second we acknowledge their strength and resourcefulness for surviving. And look squarely in the face of their situation and acknowledge and that changing their situation isn't just an uphill battle; it's an all-out war with almost no one on their side. Secondly, it shows what an impact a small act of kindness can have. Laura tells us again and again that even though Maurice tells her how much her kindness mattered to him she believes it mattered just as much to her. It effected them both in a positive manner. Maybe Maurice would have survived anyway; maybe he would have found food another way; maybe he would have stayed out of trouble regardless; maybe he would have been a good father no matter what. But who knows? And either way, the kindness mattered.