In the chaos of a war-torn Iraq, two strangers were never meant to meet - let alone fall in love.

Shawn, a young soldier raised in the foster system, found purpose and belonging in the U.S. Army. Trained for danger and sent across the world, he never expected that the most unforgettable moment of his deployment would come not from combat but from a quiet exchange with a local woman inside a U.S. base.

Nahrain, an Assyrian risking everything to work alongside American forces, dreamed of survival and a future beyond the gunfire. But when her vehicle was attacked and she disappeared, Shawn was told she had died.

Over a year passed. The dust of war settled - but the grief remained.

Then, with one unexpected message, everything changed.

A true story, The Thread That Held is a sweeping, soul-stirring novel of love across borders, resilience in the face of devastation, and the impossible journey that reunited two lives. From the streets of Baghdad to a refugee and distant continents, this is a story of hope, sacrifice, and the human cost of conflict - told by the couple who lived it.