In pitch-perfect prose, Angle of Declination tells the story of Allison Hayes and her husband Mike Bowman, a Vietnam vet whom she loves deeply yet struggles to understand. Mike and Allison's future seems boundless in 1973, but when their wanderlust takes them deep into the Canadian wilderness, something happens that causes their marriage to crumble and forces them to confront each other's demons, as well as their own.

Alone and emotionally devastated, Allison returns to her roots, a sleepy little town on the St. Lawrence River, where she rebuilds her life with the help of her uncle, who is equal parts shaman and smuggler. From suburban Chicago to First Nation reservations to the Seaway villages of northern New York, Angle of Declination is a radiant odyssey of love, forgiveness and renewal.

Doug and Sally Mayfield live in northern Minnesota. Angle of Declination is their first novel.

"Beautifully written, expertly constructed... thoughtful, evocative and rewarding. The characters in this novel are exceedingly well-drawn, imbued with doubt, humor and an overarching humanness that brings them to life on the page. The sense of place is no less remarkably rendered, especially the wilderness settings where much of the novel takes place. Angle of Declination is structurally sound, as well the authors deftly juxtapose the characters' personal turmoil with the tribulations of the Watergate era during which the story is set, and everything leads to an extremely satisfying and well-rendered conclusion." - Kirkus Reviews

"This is by far the best novel I have reviewed this year... You'll love this carefully crafted story. I looked forward to picking it up and opening it to read every time until I finished reading it. We rated Angle of Declination a max score of 5 hearts." - Heartland Reviews, (11/19/11)

"Angle of declination, a navigational term, is the metaphor that propels this riveting novel. Angle of Declination will make you laugh, cry and urge on the characters. I highly recommend Angle of Declination to anyone who enjoys a captivating, well written novel." - Pacific Reviews

"FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS FOR EXCELLENCE! Values, ethics, forgiveness, and the fragile thread that entwines them create both the human foundation and the ultimate conflict at the core of this beautifully written novel... As the Mayfields so fittingly illustrate, nothing is ever as precise as the needle of the compass might suggest." - ForeWord/Clarion Reviews