I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A woman must come to terms with her difficult past to find balance within herself in author Sally Lee Stewart’s “The Angle of Vanishing Stability”.

The Synopsis

A vessel can heel to one side, but at a certain point, it will no longer balance above water—and it capsizes. This is the angle of vanishing stability.

Thea West, a Northern Californian teenager growing up in the late sixties and early seventies, is one of five daughters trying to stay afloat amid the psychologically catastrophic dynamic between her parents—a covert and commanding mother and an ocean-yachtsman father. A talented sailor and businessman, Mr. West suffers from crippling alcoholism, with frequent rages that mask his fragility. Thea longs to know how to sail, but in her world, traversing the water is a skill that belongs only to men, and she’s terrified to ask her larger-than-life father to teach her.

When her father’s demons drive him to a new low, Thea isn’t sure if she can ever learn to forgive. She strikes out from home in search of love and self, running from what she views as the problem—her father and his hold on her family. As Thea falls in and out of affairs, marriages, and jobs, her travels take her from New York to Nicaragua and finally back to California. There, she must reckon with the legacy of her father’s love and failure and decide whether she’ll let her past capsize her future—or if she can finally find balance with a life of her choosing.

The Review

This was such a compelling and engaging read. The author does a remarkable job setting the stage for this narrative, exploring the themes of familial relationships, identity, and living a balanced life naturally and honestly throughout the narrative. The heart and emotional struggle the protagonist endures throughout her life and the journey that she goes on that takes her to parts unknown, only to return her home once more, made this feel like such a complete and thoughtful moment in the protagonist’s life. 

The heart of this narrative rested in the character-driven story the author told.  The book perfectly fits the genre fiction outline, giving an honest and depth-filled plot that allows the characters to shine and determine their path. Readers will be able to see not only themselves in these characters at some point but also people in their own lives in these characters, allowing the reader to connect further to the overall story.

The Verdict

Thought-provoking, honest, and engaging author Sally Lee Stewart’s “The Angle of Vanishing Stability” is a must-read narrative. The twists and turns in the story, the emotional experiences and dialogue, especially those that define the protagonist and her father’s relationship, and the full-circle journey she goes on will keep readers heavily invested in this story. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Sally Lee Stewart is a fourth-generation Californian and elementary education specialist. She lives on a cooperatively grazed ten-acre farm in the coastal hills of Northern California and sails on the San Francisco Bay. “The Angle of Vanishing Stability” is her first novel.

https://www.sallyleestewartauthor.com/book