Author's Tranquility Press Releases Memoir About Couple's Transformation of Rural New Jersey Property

Try N Find Us chronicles the true story of an engineer and his wife who spent eight years building a home on a former iron mine site.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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Author's Tranquility Press has announced the publication of Try N Find Us, a memoir by Frederic Buse that captures the essence of a vanishing American experience. The book tells the true story of Buse, a young engineer, and his wife Dot, who in 1961 purchased five acres of wooded land in rural New Jersey and spent the next eight years learning to build a home on the former iron mine site, facing a continuous stream of challenges and discoveries along the way.

Why it matters

Try N Find Us offers a nostalgic yet timeless reflection on resilience, community, and the process of making a place your own, at a time when many small communities and rural lifestyles are disappearing. The book provides insight into the cost of pursuing one's dreams and the unexpected rewards that can come from connecting with the land and one's neighbors.

The details

The memoir unfolds as a series of vivid, interconnected tales, chronicling the Buses' journey from their apartment to a stone house that promised tranquility, but presented a world governed by different rules. Readers will experience the physical comedy of DIY disasters, moments of genuine peril, and the slow, hard-earned wisdom that comes from living off the land, from dealing with faulty electric drills and drought-induced water shortages to being chased by an Angus bull.

  • In 1961, Fred and Dot Buse left their apartment for a stone house in rural New Jersey.
  • Over the next eight years, the Buses transformed their five-acre wooded property, a former iron mine site, into their home.

The players

Frederic Buse

A retired engineer whose eight-year journey transforming a rural New Jersey property into a home served as the most profound education of his life, and who now shares that remarkable experience in his debut memoir, Try N Find Us.

Dot Buse

Frederic Buse's wife, who joined him in purchasing the five-acre wooded property in rural New Jersey and spent eight years learning to build a home on the former iron mine site.

Author's Tranquility Press

A premier author services provider committed to excellence in publishing, who has partnered with Frederic Buse to expertly edit, design, and market his work, ensuring his powerful story finds the wide audience it deserves.

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The takeaway

Try N Find Us offers a nostalgic yet timely look at the cost and rewards of pursuing one's dreams and building a life in a rural community, at a time when many small towns and traditional lifestyles are disappearing. The book provides a poignant and often humorous glimpse into the resilience and ingenuity required to make a place your own.