Slanting Towards the Sea

In Hilje’s captivating debut, a Croatian woman winds up in a complex triangle with her ex-husband and his new wife. The opening line from narrator Ivona (“Sometimes I stalk my ex-husband”) sets the tone for her nonlinear depiction of her involvement with Vlaho and his new partner, Marina. Ivona met Vlaho when they were 19 and studying biology and economics in Zagreb. After graduation, they move back to Ivona’s hometown, Zadar, where resentment festers when Vlaho easily finds a banking job while Ivona’s career flounders. Their marriage crumbles after Ivona discovers she’s infertile and Vlaho’s mother asks her to leave him so he can start a family. Two years after their divorce, Ivona meets and befriends Marina in an Italian language class, and she soon becomes Vlaho’s wife and the mother of his children. Ivona remains friendly with them and even becomes the godmother of their son, which scandalizes everyone in their families. Meanwhile, Ivona wonders if she will ever love someone else after Vlaho. The author beautifully portrays Ivona’s grief, heartache, and determination to reinvent her life. Fans of Rachel Cusk will love this. Agent: Abigail Walters, CAA. (July)