Chloë 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.

When Cathy and Noah first got together neither saw children in their future. Eight years later, they're happily married -and Cathy isn't so sure.With Noah's tolerance for his wife's ambivalence waning, her widowed motherin a world of her ownand her best friend yearning for a second baby, Cathy feels increasingly adrift.Escaping into her work in the conservation studios of the National Gallery, she chips away at the layers of overpaint on a canvas from the collection. Will the discovery of an unexpectedtruth help her find the clarity she craves?SECOND SELF is a novel about confronting expectations, and learning to cope with the nagging, complex questions that shape a life. It's about minds and bodies at the mercy of natural forces and social pressure. Above all, it's an ode to big decisions, small, tender moments, and how we choose to be.This poignant second novel from the author of WET PAINT is perfect for fans of EXPECTATION and SORROW AND BLISS.