Teetering: A Novel

What does it mean to measure a life—not by the impossible standards we set for ourselves, but by the truths we dare to face and the fears we choose to confront?

From the outside looking in, Allegra Christos seems to have it all: the comforts of upper-class New York City, a devoted husband of thirty-five years, and the beautiful family they’ve built together. Through decades of cultural, political, and personal upheaval, she and Sam have remained steadfast, emerging from each conflict stronger than before. Now, as Sam’s eightieth birthday approaches, Allegra prepares the ultimate surprise—a lavish party and a self-authored chronicle of their life together.

But Allegra is hiding more than her celebratory plans, and her best-kept secret threatens to unravel everything they’ve built.

In her debut novel, Teetering, Karen Mehiel delivers a raw and moving portrait of a woman torn between loving authenticity and fearful perfection. As she grapples with her anxiety, increasing insecurity, and the growing distance between her and the man she loves, Allegra wavers between the comfort of her omissions and the threat of the truth. How long can she balance between the ideal life she’s constructed and her new, uninvited reality?

With haunting intimacy, Teetering explores what it means to measure a life—not by the impossible standards we set for ourselves, but by the truths we dare to face and the fears we choose to confront.