The Compass Rose

In April 1912, Swedish carpenter Lars Peterson boards the RMS Titanic carrying a hand-carved compass rose—a wooden masterpiece meant for his wife Astrid, waiting in Sweden with their two daughters. Each cardinal point represents a family member: North for his late father, South for Astrid, East for sunrise-loving Ingrid, West for sunset-chasing Maja. Having helped build the great ship in Belfast, Lars knows her bones and beauty intimately. But when the Titanic strikes an iceberg on that fateful night, his knowledge becomes the key to saving lives. As water floods the lower decks, Lars uses his understanding of the ship's hidden passages to lead trapped third-class passengers to safety, breaking through locked gates and guiding families through flooding corridors. In the chaos of the sinking, Lars gives his precious compass rose to Aino Lindqvist, a frightened Finnish mother, telling her it will guide her to a new life in America. His sacrifice ensures many live while he perishes with the ship he helped create. The compass finds its way to Lars's widow in Minnesota, connecting two families forever bound by one man's heroism. Spanning fifty years, this poignant tale explores themes of sacrifice, immigration, craftsmanship, and how acts of kindness ripple across generations. Part of the "Tales from the Titanic" series, "The Compass Rose" illuminates how ordinary people become extraordinary in moments of crisis, and how love transcends even death itself.