Second Self

Critics Review

• A magnificent novel about big decisions, social pressures and finding clarity in the face of uncertainty.

  THE I PAPER

• Tender and acutely observed… Second Self is a moving exploration of the choices that shape a life.

  MAIL ON SUNDAY

• A beautifully nuanced portrait of a woman at a crossroads. Hard recommend.

  MARIE CLAIRE

• Neat and quiet, this is a novel in which many women will be glad to find themselves reflected.

  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.

  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