That's Where You Were, Then

Jen begins life as a solitary and somewhat diabolical child growing up in a rural Nova Scotia, who comes up with – at best – unusual ways of dealing with an annoying baby brother, a depressed mother, a disappearing father, and frogs that should be toads. Through the linked stories of this collection, we follow Jen from the dilapidated and overstuffed house of her childhood to her adult life in Calgary as an addictions counselor, each story introducing a new dimension of her mystifying, wry, occasionally heartbreaking, and often funny journey through life. In prose rich in characterization and insight, That’s Where You Were, Then explores the places we’ve been and the baffling absurdities we encounter along the way.

Judith Pond has published fiction and poetry in a variety of literary journals. She is the author of four poetry collections, and her debut novel, The Signs of No, was published in 2024. She lives in Calgary.