Slanting Towards the Sea - by Lidija Hilje

About the Book

"Spanning twenty years and one life-altering summer in Croatia, Slanting Towards the Sea is at once an unforgettable love story and a powerful exploration of what it means to come of age in a country younger than oneself"--

Book Synopsis

National Bestseller

Spanning twenty years and one life-altering summer in Croatia, Slanting Towards the Sea is at once an unforgettable love story and a powerful exploration of what it means to come of age in a country younger than oneself.

Ivona divorced the love of her life, Vlaho, a decade ago. They met as students at the turn of the millennium, when newly democratic Croatia was alive with hope and promise. But the challenges of living in a burgeoning country extinguished Ivona's dreams one after another--and a devastating secret forced her to set him free.

Now Vlaho is remarried and a proud father of two, while Ivona's life has taken a downward turn. In her thirties, she has returned to her childhood home to care for her ailing father. Bewildered by life's disappointments, she finds solace in reconnecting with Vlaho and is welcomed into his family by his spirited wife, Marina. But when a new man enters Ivona's life, the carefully cultivated dynamic between the three is disrupted, forcing a reckoning for all involved.

Set against the mesmerizing Croatian coastline, Slanting Towards the Sea is a cinematic, emotionally searing debut about the fragile nature of potential and the transcendence of love.

Review Quotes

"Oh, what a beautiful book this is--deeply felt, humane, gorgeously written. Hilje's prose is positively hypnotic-- I sunk in and didn't want to come up for air." -- Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had

"A novel of extraordinary heart. One of the most moving and evocative debuts I have had the pleasure of reading." -- Madelaine Lucas, author of Thirst for Salt

"Readable enough for the beach, but compelling and knotty enough to keep you hooked for hours - this might just be your favourite book of the year." -- Service95

"Artful, intensely moving, and unforgettable in every way." --Thao Thai, author of Banyan Moon

"Thoughtful, compelling, and refreshing in its clear-eyed, assured style." -- Kimberly King Parsons, author of We Were the Universe

"Illuminating prose and gripping storytelling. A love letter to Croatia and to anyone who dares to dream." -- Nguy?n Phan Qu? Mai, internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing and Dust Child

"This thoughtful debut considers how we make a life from what we are given, even when it is not what we asked for." -- Amy Lin, author of Here After

"With nuanced characters, Slanting Towards the Sea is a novel of family and the love that shapes us." -- Booklist


"The author beautifully portrays Ivona's grief, heartache, and determination to reinvent her life. Fans of Rachel Cusk will love this." -- Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Lidija Hilje is a Croatian novelist and certified book coach. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times and other outlets. After ten years of trying cases before Croatian courts, she obtained a book coaching certification and has been working professionally with writers ever since. She lives in Zadar, Croatia, with her husband and two daughters. Slanting Towards the Sea is her first novel.