Every legacy has a starting point. Spanning decades and the breadth of the American landscape, this intimate memoir begins with the vivid, episodic memories of a childhood shaped by rural identity and family lore.
The narrative moves with a panoramic, multi-decade sweep, held together by a singular, persistent throughline: the work of staying put. This "long-form temporal sweep" follows a family through distinct life stages, from the unique culture of Navy submarine deployments to the urgent, existential stakes of sudden medical crises. It is an observational and candid exploration of resilience, where the concrete scenes of survival are found in hospital waiting rooms, ICU vigils, and the relentless advocacy required for parenting neurodiverse children.
From the quiet rituals of Lake Wenatchee camping to the ethically complex decisions of marriage strain and repair, The Unbreakable Anchor chronicles the reclamation of identity across the decades. Grounding the five-book Before the Anchor Legacy, it asks the essential question that resonates through every decade: Who, or what, is the anchor?.
The Unbreakable Anchor
-
Status: In Final Revision
-
Genre: Multigenerational True Family Story
-
Scope: Multi-Decade Chronological
-
Setting: WA | CA | FL | GA
-
Keywords: Military Life, Neurodiversity, Medical Crisis
-
Themes: Caregiving, Resilience, & Marriage
-
For Fans of: The Glass Castle & When Breath Becomes Air
At a Glance
.png)
Regina Lien has already crossed one ocean. She steps off a train in St. Paul, Minnesota in October 1902, her family beside her, carrying a sunstone her father pulled from the family chest in Norway, still finding her footing in a world that is nothing like the one she left behind.
Albert Buran has crossed one too. He arrives on the North Dakota prairie in April 1903, to join his brother, breaking his first furrow into land that will demand everything he has and then ask for more.
Two people. Two oceans. One century of survival just beginning.
The Sunstone Path is the first book in the Before the Anchor series, a five-book biographical historical saga rooted in the true stories of four real immigrant family lines. It is the story of the generations who came before The Unbreakable Anchor — the roots that made the anchor possible.
The Sunstone Path
-
Status: In-Progress
-
Narrative Style: Biographical Historical Fiction
-
Protagonists: Regina & Albert (TJ's Great-Grandparents)
-
Setting: Norway > Ellis Island > The Midwest (MN, SD, ND)
-
Series Role: Book 1 of 5
-
For Fans of: Little House on the Prairie, Lonesome Dove
At a Glance
The Before the Anchor Series
(In Development)
-
⚓ Book One — The Sunstone Path (Research and Planning)
-
-
⚓ Book Two — Early Seattle
-
⚓ Book Three —Mostly in Alaska, the original world's deadliest catch. -
⚓ Book Four — Occupied Norway and the Shetland Bus Operation (the resitance) -
⚓ Book Five — Four Family lines Converge.
