This, My Second Life

The powerful and moving new literary debut set in Cornwall in which a young man comes to terms with a life-changing injury. Perfect for fans of Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, Elaine Feeney’s How To Build A Boat and The Offing by Ben Myers.

'A remarkable debut novel’ Patrick Gale, bestselling author of Take Nothing With You

'A moving must-read’ Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things

‘Beautiful … it is as finely wrought as poetry' Guardian

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After a near-death experience and life-changing injury, twenty-year-old Jago Trevarno goes to stay with his uncle on his small coastal farm a few miles from St Ives in Cornwall.

Their existence is a simple one, their lives measured by the span of the days, the rhythms of the seasons and the animals they care for.

But lurking in the shadows is local villain, Bill Sligo, who has designs on Jacob's farm and in particular on a field near the cliffs housing a derelict mineshaft.

Wanting to repay his uncle’s kindness, Jago determines to find out what Bill Sligo is up to.

Jago is still vulnerable though, and in pursuing Sligo he delves into a murky world that he is ill-equipped to deal with.

How far will Bill Sligo go to get what he wants? Jago doesn’t know it yet, but once again he is in grave danger.

Beautifully written, and filled with the beauty and harshness of the Cornish landscape, Jago's journey is one of hope, renewal, and resilience as he comes to terms with this, his second life.

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Praise for This, My Second Life:

‘Thrilling and tender, I enjoyed every word' Julie Myerson

‘Observant, heartfelt, tenderly written' Daily Telegraph

'Beautifully written, authentic and deeply affecting' Daily Mail

'An unexpectedly life affirming story woven into the fabric of a thriller' Esther Freud

‘[A] powerful debut novel...Charnley has created his own world in this impressive debut, and it possesses its own unique magic’ Telegraph

'Deceptively simple yet completely compulsive' Gill Hornby

'An intense and unexpected debut. A beautiful piece of writing' Amanda Craig

'A hypnotic read, gentle, generous and compelling’ Mail on Sunday

'Beautifully written, poignant, moving and emotional' 5-star reader review

'So profound and thought-provoking' 5-star reader review

'An exceptional story' 5-star reader review

Patrick Charnley grew up in the English West Country where he fell in love with Cornwall, the setting for this novel. While convalescing from a cardiac arrest that very nearly ended his life and left him with a brain injury, he began to write. He now lives in north London with his wife and children.
This, My Second Life is his first novel.