A Mapmaker's Dream

by William Graney

In 1790’s Westphalia, a gunsmith has a vision which reveals a map of North America while in the midst of a feverish dream. Upon awakening, he draws an exact replication of the map. This divinely inspired map includes a silver chalice placed in an area of the Rocky Mountains. The chalice marks a specific location on the map, similar to an X on a treasure map. In 1972, twelve-year old Will Stokes finds a hidden compartment in his grandparent’s basement. Unable to resist reaching into the cubby hole, Will pulls out two tubes that contain what appear to be ancient maps. One of the maps is of North America, with only the eastern seaboard states outlined. When he notices that a silver chalice was drawn on the map, he becomes intrigued and thus begins a search for the chalice that will consume most of his adult life and lead to years of trekking on The Continental Divide Trail. Will’s quest to discover the location of the silver chalice begins in earnest when a Native American prophet comes to him in a dream and provides the first clue. This initial step will lead to a long journey filled with many trials and tribulations. As Will spends years zigzagging the Rocky Mountains on foot, he must embrace the lessons he learns in this realm, and others, while traversing the Mist Trail with the ultimate goal of drinking from the silver chalice.

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 13, 2020

Reviews

[Books Shelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A journey of a lifetime
One of the many reasons I liked that book is because I love trekking, hiking, and any and all mountains. The way William Graney describes the scenic beauty of the Rockies is breathtaking.
Moving away from the depiction of nature in the book and more to the story. It is not something I've thought would interest me as much as it did. The book does start a bit sluggish but it picks up quite quickly and you'll find yourself on the last page in no time.
I'll be sure to read the rest of Graney's books as soon as I can.

Steven
BooksShelf Reviewer

[Douglas Graney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes me want to walk across the country. I wondered if it would end up where I thought it might. It did but it would also have been cool if it didn’t.