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A magnificent novel about big decisions, social pressures and finding clarity in the face of uncertainty. -- Anna Bonet * THE I PAPER * Tender and acutely observed... Second Self is a moving exploration of the choices that shape a life. -- Francesca Peacock * MAIL ON SUNDAY * A beautifully nuanced portrait of a woman at a crossroads. Hard recommend. -- Catherine Jarvie * MARIE CLAIRE * Neat and quiet, this is a novel in which many women will be glad to find themselves reflected. -- Stephanie Cross * DAILY MAIL * A poignant and beautifully written second novel exploring the expectations that life confronts us and the decisions we may find ourselves having to make. * GLAMOUR * Thoughtful... Ashby should be applauded for the nuance with which she portrays the choices available to women. -- Alex Peake-Tomkinson * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT * An elegantly subtle novel about motherhood, marriage and choice - I'm sure it will resonate with many. * Claire Powell, author of AT THE TABLE * A precise and moving novel about expectation, ambivalence and desire. SECOND SELF unravels one of life's big questions and asks what happens when two people change separately as well as together. * Abigail Bergstrom, author of WHAT A SHAME * SECOND SELF is a novel about love, art, and those monumental, impossible life decisions. At times meditative, at times heartbreaking, but throughout compassionate and nuanced. A thoughtful, tender novel that will resonate with many thirty-somethings and is sure to spark many a discussion among its readers. * Jenny Mustard, author of OKAY DAYS * I found SECOND SELF to be a thoughtful, tender and delicate consideration of life's choices; there's a beguiling simplicity to Chloë's considered, timeless and elegiac prose, and I know that this is a story of longing that will stay with me. * Huma Qureshi, author of THE THINGS WE DO NOT TELL THE PEOPLE WE LOVE * SECOND SELF deals with tricky subjects with kindness and generosity. Chloe writes with deep care for her characters and the troubles they face but also with a keen eye for detail, both physical and, acutely, emotional. * Lizzy Stewart, author of ALISON * SECOND SELF is thoughtful and beautifully formed and written in almost hypnotically perfect prose. About the big questions surrounding becoming a mother and being a daughter to ageing parents. A delight. I can't wait to read all of Chloë's work. * Kate Sawyer, author of THE STRANDING * SECOND SELF is a thoughtful exploration of one of the most difficult decisions a person can make. Ashby handles her material lightly and atmospherically. It feels like reading the secret thoughts of a dear friend. * Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of THE SLEEP WATCHER * An insightful, thoughtfully written year in the life of a woman who navigates her own and others' expectations. SECOND SELF is a tender read about contemplating and making decisions. * Margaux Vialleron, author of THE YELLOW KITCHEN *

A magnificent novel about big decisions, social pressures and finding clarity in the face of uncertainty. -- Anna Bonet * THE I PAPER * Tender and acutely observed... Second Self is a moving exploration of the choices that shape a life. -- Francesca Peacock * MAIL ON SUNDAY * A beautifully nuance portrait of a woman at a crossroads. Hard recommend. -- Catherine Jarvie * MARIE CLAIRE * Neat and quiet, this is a novel in which many women will be glad to find themselves reflected. -- Stephanie Cross * DAILY MAIL * A poignant and beautifully written second novel exploring the expectations that life confronts us and the decisions we may find ourselves having to make. * GLAMOUR * Thoughtful... Ashby should be applauded for the nuance with which she portrays the choices available to women. -- Alex Peake-Tomkinson * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT * An elegantly subtle novel about motherhood, marriage and choice - I'm sure it will resonate with many. * Claire Powell, author of AT THE TABLE * A precise and moving novel about expectation, ambivalence and desire. SECOND SELF unravels one of life's big questions and asks what happens when two people change separately as well as together. * Abigail Bergstrom, author of WHAT A SHAME * SECOND SELF is a novel about love, art, and those monumental, impossible life decisions. At times meditative, at times heartbreaking, but throughout compassionate and nuanced. A thoughtful, tender novel that will resonate with many thirty-somethings and is sure to spark many a discussion among its readers. * Jenny Mustard, author of OKAY DAYS * I found SECOND SELF to be a thoughtful, tender and delicate consideration of life's choices; there's a beguiling simplicity to Chloë's considered, timeless and elegiac prose, and I know that this is a story of longing that will stay with me. * Huma Qureshi, author of THE THINGS WE DO NOT TELL THE PEOPLE WE LOVE * SECOND SELF deals with tricky subjects with kindness and generosity. Chloe writes with deep care for her characters and the troubles they face but also with a keen eye for detail, both physical and, acutely, emotional. * Lizzy Stewart, author of ALISON * SECOND SELF is thoughtful and beautifully formed and written in almost hypnotically perfect prose. About the big questions surrounding becoming a mother and being a daughter to ageing parents. A delight. I can't wait to read all of Chloë's work. * Kate Sawyer, author of THE STRANDING * SECOND SELF is a thoughtful exploration of one of the most difficult decisions a person can make. Ashby handles her material lightly and atmospherically. It feels like reading the secret thoughts of a dear friend. * Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of THE SLEEP WATCHER * An insightful, thoughtfully written year in the life of a woman who navigates her own and others' expectations. SECOND SELF is a tender read about contemplating and making decisions. * Margaux Vialleron, author of THE YELLOW KITCHEN *

Author Information

Chloe Ashby is an author and arts critic who has written for publications such as the Times, TLS, Guardian, FT Life & Arts, Spectator and frieze. She is the author of Colours of Art: The Story of Art in 80 Palettes, a Times best book of 2022. She lives in London. Wet Paint was her debut novel and Second Self is her second.

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