Jumping Off

Spring 2003

Paperback 208 pages

Fiction

Fictionistas

Jumping Off chronicles women whose lives are on the brink of change, for better or worse. Though the characters are from all walks of life, they share moments of clarity, glimpses into the future, and chance decisions . . . flashes of truism that will irrevocably change their lives.

Deborah is a white woman from Vancouver, and has converted to Islam in order to marry her Saudi Arabian boyfriend. Now, she’s preparing for her last Christmas and moving across the world. Eleven-year-old "Piggy" Paula, four-foot-eleven, 147 pounds, lives with an even weightier secret. Cari, an aspiring writer, is jealous of the attractive published author she meets at the dog park—and why is her boyfriend spending so much time out with the dog these days, anyway?

Each story introduces a fresh and unique character—a woman on a secret edge, and a woman that we may know, be it a niece, a neighbour, a colleague.

A page-turner from start to finish, Cutler’s second collection is strong and exciting.