Thread Every chance he got, John Parks slipped up to the attic of his family's old farmhouse to help his Irish grandmother with her sewing. By the time he was seventeen, Granny had relinquished the design work to him, for unbeknownst to the 1920's rural community they served in the Catskill Mountains of New York, his creativity had already surpassed hers. Fearing his father's anger and ridicule for doing women's work, John kept his real role a secret, and made sure his grandmother got all the credit. Meanwhile, his sketchbook overflowed with artistry. When John's lifelong friend Bonny discovers she's pregnant after just one intimate encounter between them, John's dream to escape the farm and create a life of his own vanishes. Facing disgrace, the brutal wrath of John's father, and the relentless humiliation of his older brother, John and Bonny submit to marriage. Tragically, Bonny becomes ill with life threatening pertussis, which contributes to the premature birth of their baby.