Anchor & Flares ─ A Memoir of Motherhood, Hope, and Service

Kate Braestrup's life was transformed by the loss of her husband; now Kate faces the possibility that she may lose her son.

As a young mother Kate Braestrup discovered the fierce protectiveness that accompanies parenthood. In the intervening years--through mourning her husband and the joy of remarriage and a blended family--Kate has absorbed the rewards and complications of that spirit.

But when her eldest son joins the Marines, Kate is at a crossroads: Can she reconcile her desire to protect her children with her family's legacy of service? Can parents balance the joy of a child's independence with the fear of letting go?

Inspired by the families she meets as a chaplain and by her son's journey, Kate examines the twinned emotions of faith and fear, and learns that the threats we can't predict are the ones that rip us apart--and knit us together.

Kate Braestrup serves as chaplain to the Maine (Game) Warden Service. She is the author of a novel,Onion, and several bestselling memoirs. She has written for O, the Oprah Magazine,the New York Times, More Magazine and the Huffington Post. She lives in Maine with her husband, Simon van der Ven, and their six children.