The Second Life

Carmen Firan has the gift and the timing... You can hear in Firan's prose the turning over of the wheel of time, the changing of once seemingly immutable orders, the anguish of people struggling to escape history and to understand themselves. Her writing lifts the curse, briefly. -- Andrei Codrescu

Set in New York City and Eastern Europe, these stories explore the indelible mark left by unexpected historical and personal traumas. Firan effortlessly blends elements of realism and fantasy to create a rich and spellbinding narrative world. Each story revolves around a middle-aged male protagonist, who struggles to find meaning in his life as he experiences failure and desperately reaches out in pursuit of happiness.