The Map of Longing by Alice Kellen

International bestselling author Alice Kellen pens a poignant standalone romance full of emotion, adventure, and angst. What if someone gave you a map to discover who you are? Would you follow the route to the end?

Grace Peterson always knew that the purpose of her life was to save her sister Lucy. When she was just a baby, a donation of her stem cells briefly put Lucy's leukemia into remission. But it wasn’t enough. Lucy died, and Grace’s life no longer has any meaning. Feeling trapped in her grief, her family destroyed by the pain of loss, she’s never felt more invisible or purposeless… But then her grandfather brings Grace a game that her sister, who played endless board games during her long stays in the hospital, left behind for her: The Map of Longing. 

Grace can’t play it by herself. The instructions are clear: she has to contact Will Tucker, an enigmatic stranger, a gloomy bookaholic whose relationship with Lucy remains a mystery. Deciding to honor her sister’s last wish, Grace goes out to meet the man who will be her companion during the greatest adventure she’s ever known. The Map of Longing becomes the key for Grace, who’s spent twenty-three years without leaving her little hometown in Nebraska, to dare to finally take the reins of her life and discover herself. The path is full of obstacles, but together with Will, Grace embarks on a journey through the heart—full of vulnerabilities, forgotten dreams, longings, and unexpected desires.