{"product_id":"slanting-towards-the-sea-9781668078679","title":"Slanting Towards the Sea","description":"\u003cb\u003eSpanning twenty years and one life-altering summer in Croatia, \u003ci\u003eSlanting Towards the Sea\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIvona 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Set against the mesmerizing Croatian coastline, \u003ci\u003eSlanting Towards the Sea\u003c\/i\u003e is a cinematic, emotionally searing debut about the fragile nature of potential and the transcendence of love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLidija Hilje is a Croatian novelist and certified book coach. Her writing has appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003ci\u003eSlanting Towards the Sea\u003c\/i\u003e is her first novel.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51424499663122,"sku":"9781668078679","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_6b6278b8-fa3b-4b46-b0e8-22b723411093.jpg?v=1751380960","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/slanting-towards-the-sea-9781668078679","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}