Gina Ochsner is an author whose stories delve into the complexities of human connection and the enduring search for meaning. Her prose is characterized by a lyrical intensity, weaving together moments of profound vulnerability with stark realism. Through her narratives, she explores the intricate landscapes of loss, resilience, and the quiet strength found in everyday existence. Ochsner masterfully employs language to illuminate the hidden currents of her characters' inner lives and their often-unspoken struggles.
From the Russian couple haunted by the ghosts of children they never had, to the man who buys a mynah bird in the hope of saving his marriage, People I Wanted To Be is concerned with people who feel that their lives are loose skins they've not quite grown into and perhaps won't ever fit.
A fable-like, magical debut in which the author takes readers into her characters' dreams, and memories, and hearts, and shows the resilience of human hope and imagination in even the most unlikely, post-Soviet surroundings.