At Papercuts, “the tiny Boston icon” (The Guardian), we’re passionate about great books and we’re delighted to present our own. Inside you’ll find rare works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from the distinct authors we hosted in our first year. From New York Times bestselling to hometown treasures, this book of cutting-edge writing encapsulates what happened here. PAPERCUTS J.P. is an award-winning independent bookstore located in Boston, Massachusetts, established in 2014 by former publishing professional Kate Layte. Katie Eelman has been the media and events coordinator since the store opened.

Part memoir, part lies, this imaginative tale is a story about loving a woman made of paper, about the wounds made by first love and sharp objects.

A deeply polarized and ungovernable United States of America has separated into two nations—the God Fearing States (GFS) and the United Progressive Regions (UPR). Judith Braverman, a teenager living in an Orthodox Jewish community in the GFS, is not only a talented artist accomplished in the ancient craft of papercutting, she also has the gift of seeing into peoples’ souls—and can tell instantly if someone is good or evil. Jeffrey Schwartz has no love for religion or conformity and yearns to escape to the freedom of the UPR. When he’s accepted into an experimental pen pal program and paired with Dani Fine, an openly queer girl in the UPR, he hopes that he can finally find a way out. As danger mounts and their alarm grows, Judith embeds a secret code in her papercuts so that she and Jeffrey can tell Dani what’s happening to Jews in the GFS without raising suspicions from the government. When the three arrange a quick, clandestine meeting, Jeffrey is finally faced with the choice to flee or to stay and resist. And Judith is reeling from a pull toward Dani that is unlike anything she has ever felt before. Content note: the book contains one brief memory of sexual assault of a male teen by another male teen. Book 1 of The Split Series.

"An unhappy orphan who finds solace in paper cut-outs of her parents, an Indian doctor who displays his medical degree in his taxi cab, and waiters who tamper with fortune cookie fortunes are part of this collection of six monologues that revolve around the use of paper." -- Back cover.