Parachute is a collection of short stories that looks closely at family relationships, particularly between mothers and daughters. Women's stories are a primary focus of the book, but another key theme is the lingering presence of fathers and husbands who have absented themselves either physically or emotionally, or both. Parachute also explores the connections between history and fiction, and seeks to tell stories that speak from both historical and fictional truth. While some of the history is autobiographically based, as with fictions springing from family lore, other stories in the collection are loosely based or influenced by real historical figures and/or actual events.