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This, My Second Life
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, spare and elegiac, filled with shafts of light and darkness as well as 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.
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, spare and elegiac, filled with shafts of light and darkness as well as 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.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published January 8, 2026
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June 5, 2026
New for 2026 !
“I've gone from someone who needed to slow down, to be present, to having no choice about it. I am slow now : I have to do things separately, giving each my full attention. But I wouldn't change it back even if I could."
This is the story of Jago Trevarno- a young man who has undergone the life-changing impact of surviving a cardiac arrest (not. heart attack - there is a difference) but also suffering brain injury. Following surgery and hospital recuperation, he goes to live with his uncle Jacob on a farm in Cornwall.
Life takes on a familiar routine that helps Jago navigate the day. Small details about events add to the understanding of how a daily rhythm or pattern is key for Jago- breakfast rituals; helping on the farm.
Life is jolted by the emergence of Bill Sligo - owner of a neighbouring farm. Jago sees him on his uncle's land at different times of day and begins to piece together something sinister. that could alter the equilibrium of life.
Patrick Charnley openly informs us at the start of the novel that he has undergone the life-changing experience of brain trauma and he has used his experiences to narrate the story. Written from the first person perspective of Jago, this very much feels that the author's voice is evident.
In many ways, despite the dramatic denouement, this is a very gentle read- a slightly 'old-fashioned' quality - but that is not a negative. Following the pace of Jago's world on the farm, as a reader you find yourself slowing down and focussing on each moment- the details about mealtimes hypnotised. The inclusion of Granny Carne and Sophie add further depth to understanding how Jago interacts and communicates with friends whether it be talking about the past or dealing with the unfolding drama in the story.
This is a book that educates as much as telling a story.
Ultimately, it is the sense of location and being in the moment are what permeate through this gentle read.
“I've gone from someone who needed to slow down, to be present, to having no choice about it. I am slow now : I have to do things separately, giving each my full attention. But I wouldn't change it back even if I could."
This is the story of Jago Trevarno- a young man who has undergone the life-changing impact of surviving a cardiac arrest (not. heart attack - there is a difference) but also suffering brain injury. Following surgery and hospital recuperation, he goes to live with his uncle Jacob on a farm in Cornwall.
Life takes on a familiar routine that helps Jago navigate the day. Small details about events add to the understanding of how a daily rhythm or pattern is key for Jago- breakfast rituals; helping on the farm.
Life is jolted by the emergence of Bill Sligo - owner of a neighbouring farm. Jago sees him on his uncle's land at different times of day and begins to piece together something sinister. that could alter the equilibrium of life.
Patrick Charnley openly informs us at the start of the novel that he has undergone the life-changing experience of brain trauma and he has used his experiences to narrate the story. Written from the first person perspective of Jago, this very much feels that the author's voice is evident.
In many ways, despite the dramatic denouement, this is a very gentle read- a slightly 'old-fashioned' quality - but that is not a negative. Following the pace of Jago's world on the farm, as a reader you find yourself slowing down and focussing on each moment- the details about mealtimes hypnotised. The inclusion of Granny Carne and Sophie add further depth to understanding how Jago interacts and communicates with friends whether it be talking about the past or dealing with the unfolding drama in the story.
This is a book that educates as much as telling a story.
Ultimately, it is the sense of location and being in the moment are what permeate through this gentle read.
April 8, 2026
This, my second life by Patrick Charnley is a book I was drawn to because of my experience of a life-changing illness. This charming story is set on a farm in Cornwall. Confronted with a life-threatening illness, the protagonist is compelled to adopt a slower pace. The story slowly unfolds, encouraging the author to slow down and reflect on things as they happen. Because of his newfound observation, he spots Bill Sligo on his uncle’s land, and this discovery unleashes something that momentarily creates drama. Congratulations to the author. He has accurately painted a picture of what life after a serious injury is like.
January 31, 2026
A beautiful novel told in spare prose which is my favourite. We see the world through the eyes of someone who has died for 40 minutes and whose brain has undergone a trauma that completely changes his life. The tiny details, the observations about landscape, animals, the physical body. It’s all very moving especially since the author experienced something similar himself.
My only quibble is that I wish the novel hadn’t had the Sligo story in it. It seemed an add on - the story of relearning how to live in a new form was absolutely enough. But I shall definitely read more by this author.
My only quibble is that I wish the novel hadn’t had the Sligo story in it. It seemed an add on - the story of relearning how to live in a new form was absolutely enough. But I shall definitely read more by this author.
January 31, 2026
Mindful in tone with an ending that will leave you feeling either peaceful or haunted.
This, My Second Life is the authors debut and it cannot be disputed that he has not put his whole soul into it. From Granny Crane being taken from a book his late mother wrote, and Jago coming from a beloved children’s book from his own childhood, this is a real passion project of a debut.
After a near death experience, Jago goes to live with his uncle down in St Ives. A simple way of life that cannot be measured by hours but with the work on the land and passings seasons. Though in this joy there lingers Bill Sligo, with offers to buy land from uncle Jacob and mysteriously broken fences. Jago takes it upon himself to uncover the darkness that is Bill Sligo and repay his uncle for his kindness.
At the heart of the novel is a mindful story that makes each chapter and thought from Jago reflective. Plot and character are heavily intertwined, relying on one another to make this novel a success. Whilst most readers may focus on Bill Sligo, and the mystery of his character and actions for the novels overall plot, it is actually the inner workings of Jago that are to be focused on. His journey of recovery are the true meat of the book, and without it would leave the rest of the characters with their stories feeling lacking.
The authors descriptions of food, working the land and his view of St Ives, breathe fresh air into the reading experience. A majority of publications nowadays feel a lot like their marketing schemes, quick and forgotten but This, My Second Life brings back reading slowly, a book not to be read to add to your total but read because you actually enjoy the practice of reading. I could have finished this days ago but preferred dipping in and out, allowing the themes and messages to wash over me.
Overall a five star book and reading experience, this may a quiet favourite of mine that becomes my go to recommendation or gift to loved ones, for it truly screams why books and reading is pure magic.
This, My Second Life is the authors debut and it cannot be disputed that he has not put his whole soul into it. From Granny Crane being taken from a book his late mother wrote, and Jago coming from a beloved children’s book from his own childhood, this is a real passion project of a debut.
After a near death experience, Jago goes to live with his uncle down in St Ives. A simple way of life that cannot be measured by hours but with the work on the land and passings seasons. Though in this joy there lingers Bill Sligo, with offers to buy land from uncle Jacob and mysteriously broken fences. Jago takes it upon himself to uncover the darkness that is Bill Sligo and repay his uncle for his kindness.
At the heart of the novel is a mindful story that makes each chapter and thought from Jago reflective. Plot and character are heavily intertwined, relying on one another to make this novel a success. Whilst most readers may focus on Bill Sligo, and the mystery of his character and actions for the novels overall plot, it is actually the inner workings of Jago that are to be focused on. His journey of recovery are the true meat of the book, and without it would leave the rest of the characters with their stories feeling lacking.
The authors descriptions of food, working the land and his view of St Ives, breathe fresh air into the reading experience. A majority of publications nowadays feel a lot like their marketing schemes, quick and forgotten but This, My Second Life brings back reading slowly, a book not to be read to add to your total but read because you actually enjoy the practice of reading. I could have finished this days ago but preferred dipping in and out, allowing the themes and messages to wash over me.
Overall a five star book and reading experience, this may a quiet favourite of mine that becomes my go to recommendation or gift to loved ones, for it truly screams why books and reading is pure magic.
February 17, 2026
As I sat knitting socks in my warm nest by the frozen lake Akan in Hokkaido Japan this was the perfect audio to listen to.
This book reminded me in its simplicity of the old novel Mister Tom and ticked all the boxes for me. Isolated coastal area, three interesting characters and a little mystery. Nicely read by Freddy Carter. There is nothing like that Cornish accent and the Christmas scene at the end. Bliss.
This book reminded me in its simplicity of the old novel Mister Tom and ticked all the boxes for me. Isolated coastal area, three interesting characters and a little mystery. Nicely read by Freddy Carter. There is nothing like that Cornish accent and the Christmas scene at the end. Bliss.
Read
February 4, 2026Not gonna list a star rating for this because it was not to my taste but I have no real qualms, and I think this is a really cool piece of own-voice fiction.
March 6, 2026
“After a near-death experience and life-changing injury, twenty-year-old Jago Trevarne goes to stay with his uncle on his small coastal farm a few miles from St Ives, Cornwall.”
I was immediately drawn to this book because of two things. Firstly, the setting of Cornwall and secondly Patrick Charnley is the son of one of my favourite writers, the late Helen Dunmore.
I first read about Patrick Charnley in an article about his near-death experience and that after recuperating in hospital he kept wondering why his mother didn’t visit.
His memory was so badly affected that he had forgotten she had died. Writing this novel helped him recover and Charnley uses his experience to make Jago and his disability come alive.
One of my pet hates is when novelists create a character and then don’t keep to the bounds of that character. They have their character thinking things that they never would, from the background and time that their author has chosen. And they are often suddenly cleverer than the reader believes they are. Just a mouthpiece for the author.
This is definitely not the case with Jago. Charnley sensitively traces Jago’s history and the nature of the disabilities he is left with. I absolutely love how Charnley creates the beautiful, quiet life on a small farm in Cornwall and this novel reminds me of the wonderful, A Month in the Country by J L Carr.
Here is Jago, waking up in the farmhouse:
“Orange light from the oil lamps in the kitchen is coming up the stairs and through the crack where my door is slightly ajar. We use oil lamps and candles because there’s no electricity in the farmhouse, apart from the outside store where there’s a deep freezer for the beef after slaughter. There could be electricity inside too, of course, but Jacob doesn’t want it. He told me the neighbours think he is eccentric. I told him I think that’s a compliment and he laughed.”
Here is one of the farm animals:
“Niamh is enormous. She’s a carthorse and she’s taller than me by quite a bit. Jacob says she weighs almost a tonne. She’s beautiful, glossy black apart from her white socks and a white diamond on her nose. Her eyes are very dark and they shine like onyx. She likes to work and has an eagerness when she stoops to put her head through the harness.”
How beautiful is that description? And there are many more. But a good story needs conflict and the shadow over Jago and his uncle Jacob is the awful, Bill Sligo who lives on a neighbouring farm. Sligo wants to buy Jacob’s field that contains an old wheelhouse and won’t take no for an answer.
This is the first time in a long time that I have actually been really worried about characters and animals in a novel. The menace of Bill Sligo is so effectively rendered that, of course, I raced through the second half of the book to see what happens. Highly recommended and I can’t wait for Patrick Charnley’s next book.
I was immediately drawn to this book because of two things. Firstly, the setting of Cornwall and secondly Patrick Charnley is the son of one of my favourite writers, the late Helen Dunmore.
I first read about Patrick Charnley in an article about his near-death experience and that after recuperating in hospital he kept wondering why his mother didn’t visit.
His memory was so badly affected that he had forgotten she had died. Writing this novel helped him recover and Charnley uses his experience to make Jago and his disability come alive.
One of my pet hates is when novelists create a character and then don’t keep to the bounds of that character. They have their character thinking things that they never would, from the background and time that their author has chosen. And they are often suddenly cleverer than the reader believes they are. Just a mouthpiece for the author.
This is definitely not the case with Jago. Charnley sensitively traces Jago’s history and the nature of the disabilities he is left with. I absolutely love how Charnley creates the beautiful, quiet life on a small farm in Cornwall and this novel reminds me of the wonderful, A Month in the Country by J L Carr.
Here is Jago, waking up in the farmhouse:
“Orange light from the oil lamps in the kitchen is coming up the stairs and through the crack where my door is slightly ajar. We use oil lamps and candles because there’s no electricity in the farmhouse, apart from the outside store where there’s a deep freezer for the beef after slaughter. There could be electricity inside too, of course, but Jacob doesn’t want it. He told me the neighbours think he is eccentric. I told him I think that’s a compliment and he laughed.”
Here is one of the farm animals:
“Niamh is enormous. She’s a carthorse and she’s taller than me by quite a bit. Jacob says she weighs almost a tonne. She’s beautiful, glossy black apart from her white socks and a white diamond on her nose. Her eyes are very dark and they shine like onyx. She likes to work and has an eagerness when she stoops to put her head through the harness.”
How beautiful is that description? And there are many more. But a good story needs conflict and the shadow over Jago and his uncle Jacob is the awful, Bill Sligo who lives on a neighbouring farm. Sligo wants to buy Jacob’s field that contains an old wheelhouse and won’t take no for an answer.
This is the first time in a long time that I have actually been really worried about characters and animals in a novel. The menace of Bill Sligo is so effectively rendered that, of course, I raced through the second half of the book to see what happens. Highly recommended and I can’t wait for Patrick Charnley’s next book.
February 7, 2026
fantastic. warm and comforting but the plot isn't side-lined. Lots of wonderful observations and a truth that often matches up with my lived experience (living on a farm in Cornwall and having invisible health conditions). A book that feels very special for me.
December 6, 2025
This is the story of twenty-year-old Jago Trevarno who goes to stay with his uncle on his small coastal farm a few miles from St Ives in Cornwall, after a cardiac arrest leaves him with a life-altering brain injury.
Their existence is a simple one, almost off-grid, and they live according to the rhythm of the sun, the crops and the animals they care for.
As Jago begins to adjust to the reality of his new life, he gets caught up in the murky world of local villain, Bill Sligo, who appears to have designs on Jago’s uncle’s farm and in particular a field containing a disused mine-shaft. Wanting to repay his uncle’s kindness, Jago determines to find out what Bill Sligo is up to, but he is still vulnerable because of his health issues, 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.
What an absolutely brilliant read this was. It is deeply moving, and poignant, yet, at the same time, really educational and informative about living with brain injury. You can totally understand and appreciate how Jago is conflicted: grateful for being alive after surviving cardiac arrest with no heartbeat for 49 minutes; adjusting to the lifelong, permanent limitations of his body, and the realisation of the life that he's lost. All the things he used to take for granted, or enjoy, now denied to him, and, just prior to this major, life-changing event, his mother had died, his relationship with Sophie had ended, and he'd moved to Bristol. It's such a lot to come to terms with at a very young age.
It was while the author, Patrick Charnley himself was convalescing from a cardiac arrest that very nearly ended his life and left him with a brain injury, began to write this novel. He prefaces it with a paragraph explaining that whilst this informs the way he has written Jago, everything else is fictitious.
An enormous sense of place imbues this novel, with its rich evocation of the beautiful, rugged Cornish landscape, and sense of community. Everyone know everyone else, and their business.
The simplicity of life on Jacob's farm is almost a balm for Jago. There is a feeling of peace and calm, beautifully and skilfully rendered by Charnley. It's a slower, contented, mindful and simple life, in tune with nature and its cycles. Their few possessions. The off grid, self-sufficient lifestyle, reliant on oil lamps and candles. The neat, tidy, uncluttered, farmhouse. It's all there, vividly realised in your mind's eye.
This is matched by the evocation of a richly sensory landscape: the smells of cooking, the taste of their meals and the careful, mindful way they're prepared.
Within this frame, Charnley creates a cast of well drawn, fully realised characters, are all believable and leap off the page. I felt such sympathy for Jago's situation; loved the quiet patience and loyalty of Jacob; and was especially fond of Granny Carne with her independence, strength, and all-seeing wisdom.
This beautifully written, poignant, moving and emotional novel is so profound and thought-provoking, in the ways it makes you think about our health and our minds and bodies. What we take for granted and what we can lose in an instant. The way our 'heart is mechanical and electrical. It holds no mystery. But the brain is so unlikely. Flesh like the rest of the body, but able to create hopes and dreams, love and desire, ideas and actions'. That's something you have to sit withca while and contemplate.
It also makes you consider what it is to be human: the emotional, physical and moral dilemmas we face as we live our day to day lives.
And it's also a hymn to Cornwall with its landscape and traditional industries, and an appreciation of a simpler life, celebrating the healing power of nature and a loving relationship between uncle and nephew.
Above all, despite its storyline and the themes it explores, it's a novel suffused with a sense of resilience, hope and optimism, as Jago begins to come to terms with his second life.
A quietly powerful, profound, moving and beautiful read, which I loved enormously, and based on this debut I'll definitely read anything
Patrick Charnley publishes in the future. Thoroughly recommended.
As a side note, I discover after finishing the novel that Patrick Charnley is the son of the late Helen Dunmore - a brilliant writer, and one of my favourites. He grew up in the West Country where he fell in love with Cornwall.
Their existence is a simple one, almost off-grid, and they live according to the rhythm of the sun, the crops and the animals they care for.
As Jago begins to adjust to the reality of his new life, he gets caught up in the murky world of local villain, Bill Sligo, who appears to have designs on Jago’s uncle’s farm and in particular a field containing a disused mine-shaft. Wanting to repay his uncle’s kindness, Jago determines to find out what Bill Sligo is up to, but he is still vulnerable because of his health issues, 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.
What an absolutely brilliant read this was. It is deeply moving, and poignant, yet, at the same time, really educational and informative about living with brain injury. You can totally understand and appreciate how Jago is conflicted: grateful for being alive after surviving cardiac arrest with no heartbeat for 49 minutes; adjusting to the lifelong, permanent limitations of his body, and the realisation of the life that he's lost. All the things he used to take for granted, or enjoy, now denied to him, and, just prior to this major, life-changing event, his mother had died, his relationship with Sophie had ended, and he'd moved to Bristol. It's such a lot to come to terms with at a very young age.
It was while the author, Patrick Charnley himself was convalescing from a cardiac arrest that very nearly ended his life and left him with a brain injury, began to write this novel. He prefaces it with a paragraph explaining that whilst this informs the way he has written Jago, everything else is fictitious.
An enormous sense of place imbues this novel, with its rich evocation of the beautiful, rugged Cornish landscape, and sense of community. Everyone know everyone else, and their business.
The simplicity of life on Jacob's farm is almost a balm for Jago. There is a feeling of peace and calm, beautifully and skilfully rendered by Charnley. It's a slower, contented, mindful and simple life, in tune with nature and its cycles. Their few possessions. The off grid, self-sufficient lifestyle, reliant on oil lamps and candles. The neat, tidy, uncluttered, farmhouse. It's all there, vividly realised in your mind's eye.
This is matched by the evocation of a richly sensory landscape: the smells of cooking, the taste of their meals and the careful, mindful way they're prepared.
Within this frame, Charnley creates a cast of well drawn, fully realised characters, are all believable and leap off the page. I felt such sympathy for Jago's situation; loved the quiet patience and loyalty of Jacob; and was especially fond of Granny Carne with her independence, strength, and all-seeing wisdom.
This beautifully written, poignant, moving and emotional novel is so profound and thought-provoking, in the ways it makes you think about our health and our minds and bodies. What we take for granted and what we can lose in an instant. The way our 'heart is mechanical and electrical. It holds no mystery. But the brain is so unlikely. Flesh like the rest of the body, but able to create hopes and dreams, love and desire, ideas and actions'. That's something you have to sit withca while and contemplate.
It also makes you consider what it is to be human: the emotional, physical and moral dilemmas we face as we live our day to day lives.
And it's also a hymn to Cornwall with its landscape and traditional industries, and an appreciation of a simpler life, celebrating the healing power of nature and a loving relationship between uncle and nephew.
Above all, despite its storyline and the themes it explores, it's a novel suffused with a sense of resilience, hope and optimism, as Jago begins to come to terms with his second life.
A quietly powerful, profound, moving and beautiful read, which I loved enormously, and based on this debut I'll definitely read anything
Patrick Charnley publishes in the future. Thoroughly recommended.
As a side note, I discover after finishing the novel that Patrick Charnley is the son of the late Helen Dunmore - a brilliant writer, and one of my favourites. He grew up in the West Country where he fell in love with Cornwall.
August 22, 2026
Eine besondere Reise
Was für eine Geschichte! „Weiterleben“ hat mich von der ersten Seite an gepackt und bis zum Schluss nicht mehr losgelassen. Patrick Charnley erzählt von einem Mann, dessen Leben nach einem schweren Schicksalsschlag völlig aus den Fugen gerät. Auf seinem Weg zurück ins Leben führt ihn die Geschichte nach Cornwall und genau dort entwickelt sich etwas, das weit mehr ist als nur eine klassische Neuanfangsgeschichte.
Besonders begeistert hat mich der enorme Unterhaltungswert. Die Handlung ist ungewöhnlich, überraschend und dabei so wunderbar aufgebaut, dass sich alles genau im richtigen Moment zusammenfügt. Nichts wirkt zufällig oder überhastet. Und dann diese Sprache! Charnley schafft es mit wenigen Sätzen, die Landschaft, das Meer und die ganz besondere Atmosphäre Cornwalls lebendig werden zu lassen. Beim Lesen hatte ich tatsächlich das Gefühl, selbst dort zu sein, Wind im Gesicht und das Meer direkt vor Augen inklusive.
„Weiterleben“ ist für mich eine dieser Geschichten, die sich nur schwer in eine Schublade stecken lassen. Sie ist berührend, manchmal humorvoll, spannend und vor allem einzigartig. Und was mir besonders gefallen hat: Das Buch nimmt sich die Zeit, seine Geschichte wirklich zu erzählen, statt einfach von einem Ereignis zum nächsten zu hetzen.
Das Ende ist schließlich das i-Tüpfelchen. Rund, stimmig und genau richtig; eines dieser Enden, bei denen man das Buch zuklappt und erst einmal zufrieden sitzen bleibt.
Eine ganz klare 5-Sterne-Leseempfehlung für eine außergewöhnliche Geschichte, wundervolle Sprache und ganz viel Cornwall zwischen den Seiten.
Definitiv mein Buch des Jahres bisher!
Was für eine Geschichte! „Weiterleben“ hat mich von der ersten Seite an gepackt und bis zum Schluss nicht mehr losgelassen. Patrick Charnley erzählt von einem Mann, dessen Leben nach einem schweren Schicksalsschlag völlig aus den Fugen gerät. Auf seinem Weg zurück ins Leben führt ihn die Geschichte nach Cornwall und genau dort entwickelt sich etwas, das weit mehr ist als nur eine klassische Neuanfangsgeschichte.
Besonders begeistert hat mich der enorme Unterhaltungswert. Die Handlung ist ungewöhnlich, überraschend und dabei so wunderbar aufgebaut, dass sich alles genau im richtigen Moment zusammenfügt. Nichts wirkt zufällig oder überhastet. Und dann diese Sprache! Charnley schafft es mit wenigen Sätzen, die Landschaft, das Meer und die ganz besondere Atmosphäre Cornwalls lebendig werden zu lassen. Beim Lesen hatte ich tatsächlich das Gefühl, selbst dort zu sein, Wind im Gesicht und das Meer direkt vor Augen inklusive.
„Weiterleben“ ist für mich eine dieser Geschichten, die sich nur schwer in eine Schublade stecken lassen. Sie ist berührend, manchmal humorvoll, spannend und vor allem einzigartig. Und was mir besonders gefallen hat: Das Buch nimmt sich die Zeit, seine Geschichte wirklich zu erzählen, statt einfach von einem Ereignis zum nächsten zu hetzen.
Das Ende ist schließlich das i-Tüpfelchen. Rund, stimmig und genau richtig; eines dieser Enden, bei denen man das Buch zuklappt und erst einmal zufrieden sitzen bleibt.
Eine ganz klare 5-Sterne-Leseempfehlung für eine außergewöhnliche Geschichte, wundervolle Sprache und ganz viel Cornwall zwischen den Seiten.
Definitiv mein Buch des Jahres bisher!
February 11, 2026
Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone | Hutchinson Heinemann, the author, and NetGalley for a DRC in return for an honest review. I also listened to the audiobook, beautifully narrated by Freddy Carter.
In 2021, Patrick Charnley suffered a cardiac arrest. After his heart stopped for forty minutes, he sustained a life-changing brain injury. This, My Second Life is the novel he began writing within the first year of his recovery.
That alone is a magnificent feat. But the fact that this book is also the most poignant and beautiful example of spare prose I have ever read feels nothing short of extraordinary.
This is not simply one of the most powerful and compelling novels I’ve read - it may be the most moving debut I’ve ever encountered. There simply aren’t enough superlatives to do it justice.
Patrick, I can honestly assure you: it absolutely does
#ThisMySecondLife #NetGalley
In 2021, Patrick Charnley suffered a cardiac arrest. After his heart stopped for forty minutes, he sustained a life-changing brain injury. This, My Second Life is the novel he began writing within the first year of his recovery.
That alone is a magnificent feat. But the fact that this book is also the most poignant and beautiful example of spare prose I have ever read feels nothing short of extraordinary.
This is not simply one of the most powerful and compelling novels I’ve read - it may be the most moving debut I’ve ever encountered. There simply aren’t enough superlatives to do it justice.
“…This novel follows a journey of hope and resilience as Jago comes to terms with this, his second life. My greatest hope for the novel is that it leaves readers feeling uplifted and with a sense of peace and contentment that stays with them long after reading it.”
- Patrick Charnley
Patrick, I can honestly assure you: it absolutely does
#ThisMySecondLife #NetGalley
April 3, 2026
A lovely read by a first time novelist which is in many ways semi-autobiographical. The book follows 20year old Jago Trevarno's path to partial recovery after a near-death experience which left him with long term injuries. He goes to stay with his uncle on a small lifestyle farm in Cornwall. A very simple way of life exists on the farm with the only electricity being to run the well stocked freezer in an outshed. Some drama is added to the story with the troublesome neighbour Bill Sligo wanting to buy a small field from his uncle. Why? A beautifully written story about living simply and also the recovery after a serious health event, cardiac arrest.
June 6, 2026
I recently went to hear the author talk about this book in Falmouth. He described his own experience of cardiac arrest and brain injury and the book is about a fictional character suffering from a similar experienc. Patrick is also the son of the late (and in my opinion) very brilliant writer Helen Dunmore.
I really enjoyed this book - the writing was beautiful, the narrative simple but sound. I loved the seductive rhythms of days on a farm in Cornwall filled with only the most immediate and basic needs.
I really enjoyed this book - the writing was beautiful, the narrative simple but sound. I loved the seductive rhythms of days on a farm in Cornwall filled with only the most immediate and basic needs.
January 17, 2026
This, My Second Life is a remarkably assured debut — tender, precise and deeply humane. Patrick Charnley writes about recovery and identity with a quiet intensity, capturing both the fragility and the stubborn persistence of hope after a life-altering brain injury. The novel’s reflective, first-person voice gives the reader an intimate sense of Jago Trevarno’s internal world as he works to piece together what has been damaged or lost.
Much of the novel’s strength lies in its close attention to the textures of thought and sensation. Charnley conveys cognitive fog, fatigue and frustration without melodrama or sentimentality. Jago reflects, “But that was only the beginning. I had to pick through the wreckage, blind at first. I had to find all the pieces of me, scattered all around, and put them back together one by one. That’s what I’m doing now with Jacob, and the truth is that it’s all right. All right, but different.” Small, physical details carry real emotional weight, such as when he notes, “Fatigue is like a bruise. Once I’ve got it, it doesn’t just go away after I’ve rested. It fades slowly and only if I’m careful. That’s why I have to try not to get too fatigued in the first place.”
Charnley is particularly strong on the altered landscapes of thinking, phrasing it with clarity and restraint. At one point Jago observes, “Instead of coming up with ideas, as I would have done in the past, my mind is blank, and the harder I try to think, the less I’m able to. It’s like being in a dense fog where whichever way you look you can’t see anything. I feel tears gathering in my eyes again. I hate this: my mind is paralysed and I don’t know how to get out of it.”
Beautifully written, quietly moving and suffused with grace, This, My Second Life is a debut that deserves attention.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC
Much of the novel’s strength lies in its close attention to the textures of thought and sensation. Charnley conveys cognitive fog, fatigue and frustration without melodrama or sentimentality. Jago reflects, “But that was only the beginning. I had to pick through the wreckage, blind at first. I had to find all the pieces of me, scattered all around, and put them back together one by one. That’s what I’m doing now with Jacob, and the truth is that it’s all right. All right, but different.” Small, physical details carry real emotional weight, such as when he notes, “Fatigue is like a bruise. Once I’ve got it, it doesn’t just go away after I’ve rested. It fades slowly and only if I’m careful. That’s why I have to try not to get too fatigued in the first place.”
Charnley is particularly strong on the altered landscapes of thinking, phrasing it with clarity and restraint. At one point Jago observes, “Instead of coming up with ideas, as I would have done in the past, my mind is blank, and the harder I try to think, the less I’m able to. It’s like being in a dense fog where whichever way you look you can’t see anything. I feel tears gathering in my eyes again. I hate this: my mind is paralysed and I don’t know how to get out of it.”
Beautifully written, quietly moving and suffused with grace, This, My Second Life is a debut that deserves attention.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC
Read
February 11, 2026couldn't get into this one
March 31, 2026
After thinking this book may not be my cup of tea after the first 40 pages, it then has become one that I cannot put down. Do not give up if, like me, you find it slow to start, it’s a lovely read
June 3, 2026
Honestly, probably 4.5. I had plot questions and struggle with neat resolutions, but it was so sweetly and beautifully and redemptively written that I really loved it.
August 6, 2026
For me this wasn’t a blow you away book but it read well with some good descriptions and dealt with many life issues such as grief, young relationship break ups, major illness and recovery from a traumatic brain injury. Simple , a little predictable but I did enjoy on the whole.
July 17, 2026
I've gone from someone who needed to slow down, to be present, to having no choice about it. 1 am slow now; I have to do things separately, giving each my full attention. But I wouldn't change it back even if I could. Not that bit anyway. I was a runaway train before, emotionally anyway, and then there was a monumental and completely silent crash, and everything stopped. My heart stopped and for forty minutes it didn't beat and I didn't breathe. I was suspended between life and death by my friend who gave me CPR by the Bristol docks and the paramedics who, atter a final throw of the dice with an injection of adrenaline and three more electric shocks, got my heart to beat again. But that was only the beginning. I had to pick through the wreckage, blind at first. I had to find all the pieces of me, scattered all around, and put them back together one by one. That's what I'm doing now with Jacob, and the truth is that it's all right. All right, but different.
The author of this debut novel is the son of the late Helen Dunmore (author of the brilliant “The Siege”) and rather neatly (as set out in the acknowledgments) takes some text and character names from her writing.
In 2021, as he has explained in a number of newspaper interviews, he (married, father middle aged,music lawyer) suffered a cardiac arrest (from a long term heart issue) and resulting brain damage/impairment – and he has drawn on that experience for the back story, worldview (a necessary slower and more reflective attitude to life) and even a memorably comforting hallucination) for his character – Jago, who otherwise is much different – for example younger (20) and single.
Jago – also orphaned after the loss of his mother prior to his accident, had broken off his local Cornwall ties (and his relationship with his long term girlfriend) and moved to Bristol to try and forget his loss and rebuild his life – but now post his cardiac arrest and brain injury, as the book starts he is living largely off grid with his old fashioned, self-sufficient, livestock farming Uncle.
There is much to like about the book – the early chapters beautifully capture a sense of slowing down, presenteeism, reflectiveness and simplicity made almost essential by the after-effects of the brain injury and really the only option available on the farm.
And to be honest I would have been happy (in fact much happier) to have read a book – perhaps a novella – which simply was built around this idea.
But the author has added some narrative tension and a plot in the shape of the threatening figure of a nearby farmer (notorious for his actions – including the death in suspicious circumstances of the nephew of a lady Jago knows as Granny – and for his rumoured involvement in crime/drugs and for his violent actions) who appears to have designs on a field on Jago’s Uncle’s farm (which Jago believes is connected to some recent developments around drug smuggling which he spots in a newspaper, as well as an old tin mine which leads to a hidden cove).
To be honest the effect is very much Famous Five other than with a jarringly violent (as well as illegal and implausible) happy ending and it rather took away from the novel for me – although for others I think it will add necessary narrative impetus.
My thanks to the publisher for an ARC
July 24, 2026
I was really floored by this novel in a way that I didn't expect. I was incredibly emotionally invested in these characters from the start - Jago's rupture, the intense illness he underwent and his patience in adapting to his new normal to his new life with a disability was so beautifully rendered and hopeful and practical ; I just sobbed and sobbed. He explains so perfectly what it feels like to enter a new state of being, of the impossibility of ever returning to your life as it was before. There was so much dignity, goodness, courage, love and tenderness in this book, and it was never really sentimental or gooey, it was just perfect. Such a hard thing to pull off. The descriptions of Jacob's homecooked meals for Jago were mouth-watering. I loved spending time with Jacob, Jago and Granny Carne so much. The only weakness was Bill Sligo who was a villain from a Famous Five story - smuggling and all. I also wanted slightly more from Jago's relationship with Sophie, and how they navigate their bond going forward. She just sort of faded from view at one point and never reappeared. However, overall, I thought this was just stunning. I think a bit of my love for his is contextual - what I am going through is not even a fraction of what Jago/Patrick Charnley lived through, but I am experiencing post-concussion syndrome and was really moved by his descriptions of what it feels like to be crushingly tired all of the time, to be emotionally labile, crying easily, to be overwhelmed and to have no sense of balance or steadiness. Jago's patience made me less frustrated with my symptoms, to view them with more curiosity and kindness than I have been.
'I feel good and I realise that most of the time I don't feel good. Most of the time I'm tired, but not in the fulfilled way I feel now; tired like I'm dragging a sack of sand behind me. Like everything is an effort and I have to force myself to do even things that I know I like doing. But in this moment I feel the fatigue of the day, not of months, and I savour it. Maybe this is what I should be doing with my life when I'm better. Better. I catch myself on that word. It's not one I like. In the beginning I thought of being ill and getting better and that's how things normally work isn't it? You get ill and then you get better, or you don't, you die. You don't just float somewhere in between, at least I didn't know you could. I never thought about it because why would you when you're well and healthy and running from one thing to the next, never thinking about your heart or your brain. My heart is better...But my brain? I am impaired. My vision is impaired, my memory is impaired, how fast I think is impaired, I struggle to multitask, I can't read and write as I did...my mind freezes when it gets overloaded, which doesn't take much. But I don't mind any of it really. Well, I don't like being tired and sick all the time or the constant struggle to motivate myself, but I know now that I won't ever go back to how I was, and I don't mind that.'
'I feel good and I realise that most of the time I don't feel good. Most of the time I'm tired, but not in the fulfilled way I feel now; tired like I'm dragging a sack of sand behind me. Like everything is an effort and I have to force myself to do even things that I know I like doing. But in this moment I feel the fatigue of the day, not of months, and I savour it. Maybe this is what I should be doing with my life when I'm better. Better. I catch myself on that word. It's not one I like. In the beginning I thought of being ill and getting better and that's how things normally work isn't it? You get ill and then you get better, or you don't, you die. You don't just float somewhere in between, at least I didn't know you could. I never thought about it because why would you when you're well and healthy and running from one thing to the next, never thinking about your heart or your brain. My heart is better...But my brain? I am impaired. My vision is impaired, my memory is impaired, how fast I think is impaired, I struggle to multitask, I can't read and write as I did...my mind freezes when it gets overloaded, which doesn't take much. But I don't mind any of it really. Well, I don't like being tired and sick all the time or the constant struggle to motivate myself, but I know now that I won't ever go back to how I was, and I don't mind that.'
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Der 20jährige Jago Trevarno war aufgefordert worden, eine Herzklappe operieren zu lassen, erlitt jedoch einen Herzstillstand, ehe es zur Operation kam und fiel anschließend ins Koma. Da er sonst keine Angehörigen hat, nimmt ihn sein Onkel Jacob auf seiner kleinen Farm in Cornwall zur Rehabilitation auf. Jacob lebt direkt am Meer, hält auf seinen Weiden Jungrinder, hat ein Reit- und ein Zugpferd und baut Gemüse an für den Verkauf auf dem Markt. Er lebt bescheiden mit Außenklo, Zinkbadewanne, Öl-Lampen und einer einzigen Steckdose für die Tiefkühltruhe. Der tägliche Arbeitsrhythmus ist praktisch maßgeschneidert für den jungen Patienten, der wegen seiner Fatigue, (ähnlich dem Chronischen Fatigue-Syndrom ME/CFS, Myalgische Enzephalomyelitis) Druck und Anstrengung vermeiden soll. Jago ist bewusst, dass er Seh-, Gedächtnis- und Konzentrationsprobleme zurückbehalten hat und sein Zustand sich möglicherweise nicht verbessern wird. Obwohl er seine Hirnschädigung bildhaft beschreiben kann, wie sein flüssig zu lesender Romantext beweist, fühlt er sich von anderen Menschen nicht gesehen, die mit Allgemeinplätzen abwiegeln, sie wären auch vergesslich oder sie wären auch oft müde. Jago ist nicht nur etwas vergesslich, er merkt, dass er die Welt wie im Tunnel wahrnimmt und oft Hilfe benötigt, wenn er Entscheidungen zu treffen hat.
Bewundernswert gelassen tritt Jacob auf, der die Ruhe weghat und Jagos persönliches Tempo respektiert. „Das Land nehmen wie es ist“ beschreibt Jacobs Talent zu Gleichmut und Versöhnung. Als auf Jacobs Land, das an einen öffentlichen Küstenpfad grenzt, der Nachbar gesehen wird, ist es mit der Ruhe vorbei. Bill Sligo wird im Ort als Unruhestifter bezeichnet und sowohl Jacob als auch die Nachbarin Granny Carne warnen Jacob eindringlich vor dem Kontakt zu Bill. Wer sich die Lage von Jacobs Farm direkt an einer Klippe und oberhalb einer ehemaligen Zinnmine klarmacht, dem werden einige Ziele einfallen, die Bill Sligo verfolgen könnte. Anstatt ein lauschiges Weihnachtsfest im verschneiten Cornwall miteinander zu verbringen, auf das der allein lebende Jacob sich schon freute, gilt es nun, einen Kriminalfall zu lösen, für den von Jago genau die Fähigkeiten erwartet werden, die er durch seine schwere Erkrankung verloren hat. Eine besondere Rolle fällt darin Granny Carne zu, der das zweite Gesicht nachgesagt wird und die eine besondere Begabung hat, Jacob am Gesicht anzusehen, wenn ein Zusammenbruch bevorsteht.
Fazit
Besonders durch Jacobs Gelassenheit wirkt „Weiterleben“ entschleunigend, erklärt darüber hinaus in liebenswürdiger Weise Jagos Fatigue-Syndrom – und lässt sich nicht zuletzt als Weihnachtsbuch lesen. Ein berührender Roman, in dem Patrick Charnley seine eigene Krankengeschichte verarbeitet.
Bewundernswert gelassen tritt Jacob auf, der die Ruhe weghat und Jagos persönliches Tempo respektiert. „Das Land nehmen wie es ist“ beschreibt Jacobs Talent zu Gleichmut und Versöhnung. Als auf Jacobs Land, das an einen öffentlichen Küstenpfad grenzt, der Nachbar gesehen wird, ist es mit der Ruhe vorbei. Bill Sligo wird im Ort als Unruhestifter bezeichnet und sowohl Jacob als auch die Nachbarin Granny Carne warnen Jacob eindringlich vor dem Kontakt zu Bill. Wer sich die Lage von Jacobs Farm direkt an einer Klippe und oberhalb einer ehemaligen Zinnmine klarmacht, dem werden einige Ziele einfallen, die Bill Sligo verfolgen könnte. Anstatt ein lauschiges Weihnachtsfest im verschneiten Cornwall miteinander zu verbringen, auf das der allein lebende Jacob sich schon freute, gilt es nun, einen Kriminalfall zu lösen, für den von Jago genau die Fähigkeiten erwartet werden, die er durch seine schwere Erkrankung verloren hat. Eine besondere Rolle fällt darin Granny Carne zu, der das zweite Gesicht nachgesagt wird und die eine besondere Begabung hat, Jacob am Gesicht anzusehen, wenn ein Zusammenbruch bevorsteht.
Fazit
Besonders durch Jacobs Gelassenheit wirkt „Weiterleben“ entschleunigend, erklärt darüber hinaus in liebenswürdiger Weise Jagos Fatigue-Syndrom – und lässt sich nicht zuletzt als Weihnachtsbuch lesen. Ein berührender Roman, in dem Patrick Charnley seine eigene Krankengeschichte verarbeitet.
August 20, 2026
„Alles ist gut, und alles wird gut sein, so oder so. Ich bin in diesem Jahr schon von den Toten zurückgekehrt, und es war gar nicht so schlimm. Ich habe es nicht mal bemerkt.“
Der Roman vermittelt das Gefühl von Meer und von Neuanfangen - Das ist die Quintessenz, die für mich nach der Lektüre bleibt und ich schließe das Buch mit dem Gefühl, dass Jago seinen Weg finden wird - und das stimmt mich glücklich.
Jago war klinisch tot - sein Herz schlug nicht mehr. Dann wurde er ins Leben zurück geholt, doch sein Gehirn ist geschädigt. Sein Leben hat sich radikal verändert. Wo früher ein Mensch fest im Leben stand, dem es nicht schnell genug gehen konnte, muss er heute seine Kräfte und seine geistigen Fähigkeiten gut einteilen. In Cornwall bei seinem Onkel lernt er ein entschleunigtes Leben kennen - doch so friedlich wie er scheint, ist der Alltag nicht.
Vor allen anderen Dingen handelt der Roman davon, Veränderungen entgegenzutreten nach einem tiefen Einschnitt, der den Alltag in Stücke sprengt und das Selbst zerschmettert auf den Boden zurücklässt. Was kann man aufsammeln und wieder zusammenfügen? Von welchem Teil seiner Selbst muss man sich verabschieden? Ich habe Jagos Alltag in Cornwall an der Seite seines Onkels sehr gern gelesen. Entschleunigt, ruhig, und trotzdem erfüllt. Jagos Erkenntnis, das vieles nicht mehr so einfach geht, wie vor dem Herzstillstand, ist schmerzhaft, wird aber selbstreflektierend dargestellt, gleichzeitig aber ohne Kitsch und Selbstmitleid.
Durch die Ich-Perspektive von Jago, aus der der Roman konsequent erzählt wird, kommen wir dem jungen Mann sehr nahe. Ich habe sein früheres Ich und seine Persönlichkeit im Hier und Jetzt gut verstanden. Er selbst nimmt sein neues Leben an und findet die Schönheit in der Einfachheit. Sein Onkel ist ihm dabei eine große Stütze. Er bietet ihm immer wieder Möglichkeiten an, gibt ihm Raum sich zu entfalten, lässt ihn genauso spüren, dass er ihn mag, so wie er ist.
Die Spannung ist wohl dosiert und der „Fall“ hält sich im Hintergrund - das ist verständlich. Die Geschichte handelt von einem Neuanfang und derjenige, der Ärger macht, fungiert als Hebel, damit Jago aktiv wird. Groß gestört hat es mich nicht. Der Fokus liegt in der Geschichte auf anderen Themen.
Die Erfahrungen des Herzstillstands und die daraus resultierenden Beeinträchtigungen basieren auf den Erfahrungen des Autors, der selbst einen Herzstillstand erlitten hatte. Ich finde, dass hat dem Buch zusätzlich viel Authentizität verliehen.
Ein wunderschön geschriebener Roman, in dem ich die Salzluft gerochen und die gute Erde aus dem Küchengarten unter meinen Fingern gespürt habe.
Es existiert mehr als eine Blaupause vom Leben - man muss nur danach suchen.
Der Roman vermittelt das Gefühl von Meer und von Neuanfangen - Das ist die Quintessenz, die für mich nach der Lektüre bleibt und ich schließe das Buch mit dem Gefühl, dass Jago seinen Weg finden wird - und das stimmt mich glücklich.
Jago war klinisch tot - sein Herz schlug nicht mehr. Dann wurde er ins Leben zurück geholt, doch sein Gehirn ist geschädigt. Sein Leben hat sich radikal verändert. Wo früher ein Mensch fest im Leben stand, dem es nicht schnell genug gehen konnte, muss er heute seine Kräfte und seine geistigen Fähigkeiten gut einteilen. In Cornwall bei seinem Onkel lernt er ein entschleunigtes Leben kennen - doch so friedlich wie er scheint, ist der Alltag nicht.
Vor allen anderen Dingen handelt der Roman davon, Veränderungen entgegenzutreten nach einem tiefen Einschnitt, der den Alltag in Stücke sprengt und das Selbst zerschmettert auf den Boden zurücklässt. Was kann man aufsammeln und wieder zusammenfügen? Von welchem Teil seiner Selbst muss man sich verabschieden? Ich habe Jagos Alltag in Cornwall an der Seite seines Onkels sehr gern gelesen. Entschleunigt, ruhig, und trotzdem erfüllt. Jagos Erkenntnis, das vieles nicht mehr so einfach geht, wie vor dem Herzstillstand, ist schmerzhaft, wird aber selbstreflektierend dargestellt, gleichzeitig aber ohne Kitsch und Selbstmitleid.
Durch die Ich-Perspektive von Jago, aus der der Roman konsequent erzählt wird, kommen wir dem jungen Mann sehr nahe. Ich habe sein früheres Ich und seine Persönlichkeit im Hier und Jetzt gut verstanden. Er selbst nimmt sein neues Leben an und findet die Schönheit in der Einfachheit. Sein Onkel ist ihm dabei eine große Stütze. Er bietet ihm immer wieder Möglichkeiten an, gibt ihm Raum sich zu entfalten, lässt ihn genauso spüren, dass er ihn mag, so wie er ist.
Die Spannung ist wohl dosiert und der „Fall“ hält sich im Hintergrund - das ist verständlich. Die Geschichte handelt von einem Neuanfang und derjenige, der Ärger macht, fungiert als Hebel, damit Jago aktiv wird. Groß gestört hat es mich nicht. Der Fokus liegt in der Geschichte auf anderen Themen.
Die Erfahrungen des Herzstillstands und die daraus resultierenden Beeinträchtigungen basieren auf den Erfahrungen des Autors, der selbst einen Herzstillstand erlitten hatte. Ich finde, dass hat dem Buch zusätzlich viel Authentizität verliehen.
Ein wunderschön geschriebener Roman, in dem ich die Salzluft gerochen und die gute Erde aus dem Küchengarten unter meinen Fingern gespürt habe.
Es existiert mehr als eine Blaupause vom Leben - man muss nur danach suchen.
April 16, 2026
What. Was that.
Disclaimer:
• voice actor rating at the end
• Spoilers ahead
I really want to say that this book is like a snail. A so slowly snail that even the snail would think omg this is so slow. BUT the book didn't say it will be full of action, plot or constant entertainment. And this is how I found out: did I get a TikTok brain? Anyways: I managed to pay full attention to this novel. It was completly different from my usual reading style and I enjoyed it. It's sort of a slice of life story. And nothing more. And that's totally fine because the given plot makes it a good fit. A young boy, experiencing a nearly death situation, big injury, big brain ouchies and the following problems he has. And that's where the book kept me. Jago, the protagonist with the big brain ouchies, reminds me of myself. Having a disability makes him more aware of the probably fight with social interactions and being able to feel any emotions. He has that incident which makes him kinda neurodivergent? Not a proper comparison but for me it works. And of course a dead mother is also included in this story. Where would be the drama if not huh?
The writing style is well, not incredible breath taking but absolutely fitting to the story. Extra points for realistic conversations.
But this is where my nice words end.
Any other character? Absolutely no personality. The always nice uncle and the over protective grandma.
And the ending? What I said at the beginning:
What. Was that?
I keep it simple: grandma turns out beeing an assassin and shoots the villain (which is a villain for no reason, no story line here and everyone going on with their life like nothing happened?!) and then...
He wakes up and everything was just a dream.
Patrick. Come on. It's 2026...
About the voice actor.
Lock me in but yes I only come to this book because Freddy Carter narrates it. This was my fourth audio book I listen with him as the narrator and it was the FIRST time I was able to actually finishing it. Not because he did a bad job, it's because the other books he narrates are (I'm sorry) shitty. So this author for now, Patrick Charnley, managed to keep me listing to him. :)
Reading this book makes me feel tensed because the constantly thought of: when will it happen? When will something horrible show up? But it didn't. It's just me thinking there always must be something horrible.
But it musn't and I appreciate that Charnley reminded me of that.
Four stars for simply beeing what the book promised.
One minus for the iT wAs AlL a dReAm ending.
Disclaimer:
• voice actor rating at the end
• Spoilers ahead
I really want to say that this book is like a snail. A so slowly snail that even the snail would think omg this is so slow. BUT the book didn't say it will be full of action, plot or constant entertainment. And this is how I found out: did I get a TikTok brain? Anyways: I managed to pay full attention to this novel. It was completly different from my usual reading style and I enjoyed it. It's sort of a slice of life story. And nothing more. And that's totally fine because the given plot makes it a good fit. A young boy, experiencing a nearly death situation, big injury, big brain ouchies and the following problems he has. And that's where the book kept me. Jago, the protagonist with the big brain ouchies, reminds me of myself. Having a disability makes him more aware of the probably fight with social interactions and being able to feel any emotions. He has that incident which makes him kinda neurodivergent? Not a proper comparison but for me it works. And of course a dead mother is also included in this story. Where would be the drama if not huh?
The writing style is well, not incredible breath taking but absolutely fitting to the story. Extra points for realistic conversations.
But this is where my nice words end.
Any other character? Absolutely no personality. The always nice uncle and the over protective grandma.
And the ending? What I said at the beginning:
What. Was that?
I keep it simple: grandma turns out beeing an assassin and shoots the villain (which is a villain for no reason, no story line here and everyone going on with their life like nothing happened?!) and then...
He wakes up and everything was just a dream.
Patrick. Come on. It's 2026...
About the voice actor.
Lock me in but yes I only come to this book because Freddy Carter narrates it. This was my fourth audio book I listen with him as the narrator and it was the FIRST time I was able to actually finishing it. Not because he did a bad job, it's because the other books he narrates are (I'm sorry) shitty. So this author for now, Patrick Charnley, managed to keep me listing to him. :)
Reading this book makes me feel tensed because the constantly thought of: when will it happen? When will something horrible show up? But it didn't. It's just me thinking there always must be something horrible.
But it musn't and I appreciate that Charnley reminded me of that.
Four stars for simply beeing what the book promised.
One minus for the iT wAs AlL a dReAm ending.
August 12, 2026
Wenn das Leben einen neuen Rhythmus bekommt
Jago Trevarno ist gerade einmal 20 Jahre alt, als sein Herz vierzig Minuten lang stehen bleibt. Er überlebt zwar, doch die Folgen der fehlenden Sauerstoffversorgung bleiben, denn seine Konzentration und Belastbarkeit sind eingeschränkt und vieles muss langsamer und Schritt für Schritt geschehen. Auf dem abgelegenen Hof seines Onkels Jacob in Cornwall findet Jago jedoch einen Ort, an dem er sich diesem neuen Leben stellen kann. Die Arbeit mit den Tieren und der Rhythmus der Natur geben ihm Halt, doch der zwielichtige Nachbar Bill Sligo bedroht die Ruhe auf dem Hof.
Weiterleben ist ein ungewöhnlicher und sehr atmosphärischer Roman und der vor allem vor allem seine ruhige Erzählweise wirkt. Das Erzähltempo passt sich ganz selbstverständlich an Jagos neues Leben an und dadurch entsteht eine angenehme Entschleunigung, ohne dass die Geschichte langweilig wird. Es ist sehr berührend zu lesen, wie selbstverständlich Jago mit seinen Einschränkungen umgehen muss und dabei lernt, seine Erwartungen an das Leben neu zu definieren. Die einfache Arbeit auf dem Hof, die Beziehung zu seinem Onkel und die Natur Cornwalls bekommen dadurch eine besondere Bedeutung. Vieles wird dabei nicht dramatisiert, sondern einfach so angenommen, wie es ist und diese Zurückhaltung macht die Geschichte wunderbar glaubwürdig und emotional. Dass der Autor selbst einen Herzstillstand überlebt hat und seine eigene Erfahrungen in den Roman einfließen lässt, verleiht Jagos Geschichte zudem eine besondere Authentizität. Zusätzlich sorgt die Geschichte um den Nachbarn noch für etwas mehr Spannung und bringt vor allem gegen Ende noch einmal deutlich mehr Tempo in die Handlung.
Ein leiser, berührender Roman über einen jungen Menschen, dessen Leben nach einem schweren Schicksalsschlag völlig anders weitergeht und der schön von Akzeptanz und neuen Lebensrhythmen erzählt sowie davon, dass ein gutes Leben nicht unbedingt so aussehen muss wie früher.
Jago Trevarno ist gerade einmal 20 Jahre alt, als sein Herz vierzig Minuten lang stehen bleibt. Er überlebt zwar, doch die Folgen der fehlenden Sauerstoffversorgung bleiben, denn seine Konzentration und Belastbarkeit sind eingeschränkt und vieles muss langsamer und Schritt für Schritt geschehen. Auf dem abgelegenen Hof seines Onkels Jacob in Cornwall findet Jago jedoch einen Ort, an dem er sich diesem neuen Leben stellen kann. Die Arbeit mit den Tieren und der Rhythmus der Natur geben ihm Halt, doch der zwielichtige Nachbar Bill Sligo bedroht die Ruhe auf dem Hof.
Weiterleben ist ein ungewöhnlicher und sehr atmosphärischer Roman und der vor allem vor allem seine ruhige Erzählweise wirkt. Das Erzähltempo passt sich ganz selbstverständlich an Jagos neues Leben an und dadurch entsteht eine angenehme Entschleunigung, ohne dass die Geschichte langweilig wird. Es ist sehr berührend zu lesen, wie selbstverständlich Jago mit seinen Einschränkungen umgehen muss und dabei lernt, seine Erwartungen an das Leben neu zu definieren. Die einfache Arbeit auf dem Hof, die Beziehung zu seinem Onkel und die Natur Cornwalls bekommen dadurch eine besondere Bedeutung. Vieles wird dabei nicht dramatisiert, sondern einfach so angenommen, wie es ist und diese Zurückhaltung macht die Geschichte wunderbar glaubwürdig und emotional. Dass der Autor selbst einen Herzstillstand überlebt hat und seine eigene Erfahrungen in den Roman einfließen lässt, verleiht Jagos Geschichte zudem eine besondere Authentizität. Zusätzlich sorgt die Geschichte um den Nachbarn noch für etwas mehr Spannung und bringt vor allem gegen Ende noch einmal deutlich mehr Tempo in die Handlung.
Ein leiser, berührender Roman über einen jungen Menschen, dessen Leben nach einem schweren Schicksalsschlag völlig anders weitergeht und der schön von Akzeptanz und neuen Lebensrhythmen erzählt sowie davon, dass ein gutes Leben nicht unbedingt so aussehen muss wie früher.
October 23, 2025
“the brain is so unlikely. flesh like the rest of the body, but able to create hopes and dreams, love and desire, ideas and actions.” - this book will single handedly increase your empathy levels and make you feel so grateful for how effortlessly your body and brain work <3
this, my second life is a book based on our main character jago, who has been forced to slow down after experiencing a cardiac arrest which resulted in a brain injury after he was officially dead for 40 minutes. this is based on the author’s real life, which in itself is so powerful; the rest of the book is a work of fiction.
i truly loved this book, it captures the simplicity and complexity of what it is to be human. waking to watch the sunrise, eating breakfast in silence whilst you still wake up, starting your morning with a big stretch that feels achy but nice after you’ve used your muscles. i started to notice that most of the chapters begin with jago waking up, a lot of these chapters include a description of the peacefulness of morning time.
it also celebrates traditional farm life and highlights the beauty of the cornish landscape - it’s so descriptive you feel like you’re there. this book gave me hope and faith in humanity that there’s always someone willing to help, and that most people look for the goodness in things, even though it doesn’t always seem that way.
i’ve rated this 4.5 stars!! it’s such a genuinely intriguing story, it’s got a bit of everything. there’s even a local criminal on the loose and jago turns into detective mode to find out what he’s up to!!
so grateful to receive an early copy of this book, i will be recommending it to everyone.
this, my second life is a book based on our main character jago, who has been forced to slow down after experiencing a cardiac arrest which resulted in a brain injury after he was officially dead for 40 minutes. this is based on the author’s real life, which in itself is so powerful; the rest of the book is a work of fiction.
i truly loved this book, it captures the simplicity and complexity of what it is to be human. waking to watch the sunrise, eating breakfast in silence whilst you still wake up, starting your morning with a big stretch that feels achy but nice after you’ve used your muscles. i started to notice that most of the chapters begin with jago waking up, a lot of these chapters include a description of the peacefulness of morning time.
it also celebrates traditional farm life and highlights the beauty of the cornish landscape - it’s so descriptive you feel like you’re there. this book gave me hope and faith in humanity that there’s always someone willing to help, and that most people look for the goodness in things, even though it doesn’t always seem that way.
i’ve rated this 4.5 stars!! it’s such a genuinely intriguing story, it’s got a bit of everything. there’s even a local criminal on the loose and jago turns into detective mode to find out what he’s up to!!
so grateful to receive an early copy of this book, i will be recommending it to everyone.
February 4, 2026
Meryl Streep, quoting Carrie Fisher, once said "Take your broken heart and turn in into art." This, My Second Life does just that.
In 2021 author Patrick Charnley experienced a cardiac arrest and sustained a life-changing brain injury. This experience shapes his portrayal of the book's main character, Jago Trevarno, a 21 year-old who, after a cardiac arrest and subsequent brain injury, lives with his uncle Jacob on a farm in Cornwall. This, My Second Life is told from Jago's perspective, as the young man recovers and learns how to live what he now sees as his second life. The narration feels almost child-like, as Jago's injury has affected how he is able to process the world around him. There is threat, too, as Jago struggles to protect his uncle from a neighbour who seems intent on violence.
Rich in portrayals of the natural world, the book's slower, gentle pace mirrors Jago's experiences of living with a brain injury. Life on the farm of the scenery of the Cornwall coast are exquisitely portrayed. This is a book to read slowly; to savour.
Don't let its gentleness fool you. Deep meaning and purpose rise up in the day to day business of living, as the reader, along with Jago, has slowed down enough to notice them.
As I read this book it felt like I was reading a book from another age. I found it comforting, compelling, and, ultimately, deeply thoughtful.
As a Bookseller I would recommend This, My Second Life to readers who enjoy stunning evocations of the natural world, a character-driven plot, and poetic fiction.
Many thanks to the book's publisher for providing a copy for an independent review.
In 2021 author Patrick Charnley experienced a cardiac arrest and sustained a life-changing brain injury. This experience shapes his portrayal of the book's main character, Jago Trevarno, a 21 year-old who, after a cardiac arrest and subsequent brain injury, lives with his uncle Jacob on a farm in Cornwall. This, My Second Life is told from Jago's perspective, as the young man recovers and learns how to live what he now sees as his second life. The narration feels almost child-like, as Jago's injury has affected how he is able to process the world around him. There is threat, too, as Jago struggles to protect his uncle from a neighbour who seems intent on violence.
Rich in portrayals of the natural world, the book's slower, gentle pace mirrors Jago's experiences of living with a brain injury. Life on the farm of the scenery of the Cornwall coast are exquisitely portrayed. This is a book to read slowly; to savour.
Don't let its gentleness fool you. Deep meaning and purpose rise up in the day to day business of living, as the reader, along with Jago, has slowed down enough to notice them.
As I read this book it felt like I was reading a book from another age. I found it comforting, compelling, and, ultimately, deeply thoughtful.
As a Bookseller I would recommend This, My Second Life to readers who enjoy stunning evocations of the natural world, a character-driven plot, and poetic fiction.
Many thanks to the book's publisher for providing a copy for an independent review.
August 16, 2026
Ein leiser Neuanfang an der Küste
Bei dem vorliegenden Werk handelt es sich um den Roman „Weiterleben“ von Patrick Charnley, erschienen im DuMont Verlag mit einem Umfang von 285 Seiten. Der Autor hatte selbst einen Herzstillstand, daher hat er dieses Buch geschrieben. Auch danach ging es weiter, aber er benötigte natürlich Hilfe von seiner Frau und vielen anderen. Dieses Erlebnis hat ihn geprägt und er hat daher seine Geschichte geschrieben.
Es ist ein eher leises, ruhiges Buch. Schon das Cover ist wunderschön mit einem einsamen Haus an der Küste direkt am Meer. Es ist ein Neuanfang, alles geht nur langsam, aber durch seinen Onkel und die Arbeit auf dem Hof in Cornwall, der dem Onkel gehört, funktioniert das. Der Schreibstil ist dabei sehr einfühlsam und flüssig, was die ruhige Atmosphäre perfekt unterstützt. Die Protagonisten, insbesondere Jago Trevarno und sein Onkel, wirken sehr authentisch und sympathisch.
Eigentlich wäre das ganze langweilig, doch der Nachbar, der Ärger macht, stört die Idylle. Jago Trevarno setzt sich dafür ein, dass er an diesem Ort ungestört weiterleben kann. Durch diesen Kampf wird aus dem ruhigen Buch etwas, was man fast spannend nennen kann. Das Setting in Cornwall ist wunderbar gut angesiedelt und die Beschreibungen der Natur und des einfachen Lebens auf dem Hof sind sehr bildhaft.
Ich mag den Schreibstil, die Protagonisten, das Szenario und alles. Das Buch hat mich sehr berührt und ist einfach schön. Es ist eine Geschichte, die Hoffnung macht und zeigt, dass ein Neuanfang möglich ist, auch wenn er langsam erfolgt. Für mich ist es ein besonderes Leseerlebnis, das uneingeschränkt 5 Sterne verdient hat.
Bei dem vorliegenden Werk handelt es sich um den Roman „Weiterleben“ von Patrick Charnley, erschienen im DuMont Verlag mit einem Umfang von 285 Seiten. Der Autor hatte selbst einen Herzstillstand, daher hat er dieses Buch geschrieben. Auch danach ging es weiter, aber er benötigte natürlich Hilfe von seiner Frau und vielen anderen. Dieses Erlebnis hat ihn geprägt und er hat daher seine Geschichte geschrieben.
Es ist ein eher leises, ruhiges Buch. Schon das Cover ist wunderschön mit einem einsamen Haus an der Küste direkt am Meer. Es ist ein Neuanfang, alles geht nur langsam, aber durch seinen Onkel und die Arbeit auf dem Hof in Cornwall, der dem Onkel gehört, funktioniert das. Der Schreibstil ist dabei sehr einfühlsam und flüssig, was die ruhige Atmosphäre perfekt unterstützt. Die Protagonisten, insbesondere Jago Trevarno und sein Onkel, wirken sehr authentisch und sympathisch.
Eigentlich wäre das ganze langweilig, doch der Nachbar, der Ärger macht, stört die Idylle. Jago Trevarno setzt sich dafür ein, dass er an diesem Ort ungestört weiterleben kann. Durch diesen Kampf wird aus dem ruhigen Buch etwas, was man fast spannend nennen kann. Das Setting in Cornwall ist wunderbar gut angesiedelt und die Beschreibungen der Natur und des einfachen Lebens auf dem Hof sind sehr bildhaft.
Ich mag den Schreibstil, die Protagonisten, das Szenario und alles. Das Buch hat mich sehr berührt und ist einfach schön. Es ist eine Geschichte, die Hoffnung macht und zeigt, dass ein Neuanfang möglich ist, auch wenn er langsam erfolgt. Für mich ist es ein besonderes Leseerlebnis, das uneingeschränkt 5 Sterne verdient hat.
August 12, 2026
Berührender, eindringlicher Roman
In "Weiterleben" wird die berührende Geschichte von Jago Trevarno erzählt, der sich nach einem Herzstillstand mühsam ins Leben zurückkämpft. Er wohnt nun bei seinem Onkel Jacob, der an der Küste Cornwalls auf seinem Hof ein einfaches Leben führt. Bedroht wird diese Idylle von einem Nachbarn, der Jago und seinem Onkel schaden will. Gemeinsam müssen Jago und Jacob alles dransetzen, um den Hof und ihre friedfertige Idylle zu erhalten.
Das Buch hat mir insgesamt gut gefallen. Der Schreibstil des Autors ist eindringlich und ruhig. Jagos Schicksal hat mich sehr berührt, da es jederzeit passieren kann, dass sich das Leben ändert und man vor großen Herausforderungen steht. Es ist wirklich so toll zu sehen, wie Jago sein Schicksal akzeptiert und sich mutig Schritt für Schritt ins Leben zurückkämpft. Sowohl er als auch sein sehr fürsorglicher Onkel Jacob waren als Charaktere sehr liebenswert und sympathisch. Der Zusammenhalt und die Selbstverständlichkeit, mit der sich Jakob Jago annimmt, haben mich sehr beeindruckt. Das Buch ist trotz des ernsten Themas voller Zuversicht, Hoffnung und Mut. Auch wenn es Menschen, wie den Nachbarn gibt, der ihnen alles nehmen will, lassen sie sich nicht unterkriegen, sind dankbar für das was sie haben und geben nicht auf. Die Geschichte bleibt bis zum Ende spannend und hat mich sehr zum Nachdenken angeregt.
Ich empfehle das Buch allen Menschen, die gerade ein bisschen Mut, Zuversicht und Hoffnung gebrauchen können und eine ruhige Erzählweise schätzen.
In "Weiterleben" wird die berührende Geschichte von Jago Trevarno erzählt, der sich nach einem Herzstillstand mühsam ins Leben zurückkämpft. Er wohnt nun bei seinem Onkel Jacob, der an der Küste Cornwalls auf seinem Hof ein einfaches Leben führt. Bedroht wird diese Idylle von einem Nachbarn, der Jago und seinem Onkel schaden will. Gemeinsam müssen Jago und Jacob alles dransetzen, um den Hof und ihre friedfertige Idylle zu erhalten.
Das Buch hat mir insgesamt gut gefallen. Der Schreibstil des Autors ist eindringlich und ruhig. Jagos Schicksal hat mich sehr berührt, da es jederzeit passieren kann, dass sich das Leben ändert und man vor großen Herausforderungen steht. Es ist wirklich so toll zu sehen, wie Jago sein Schicksal akzeptiert und sich mutig Schritt für Schritt ins Leben zurückkämpft. Sowohl er als auch sein sehr fürsorglicher Onkel Jacob waren als Charaktere sehr liebenswert und sympathisch. Der Zusammenhalt und die Selbstverständlichkeit, mit der sich Jakob Jago annimmt, haben mich sehr beeindruckt. Das Buch ist trotz des ernsten Themas voller Zuversicht, Hoffnung und Mut. Auch wenn es Menschen, wie den Nachbarn gibt, der ihnen alles nehmen will, lassen sie sich nicht unterkriegen, sind dankbar für das was sie haben und geben nicht auf. Die Geschichte bleibt bis zum Ende spannend und hat mich sehr zum Nachdenken angeregt.
Ich empfehle das Buch allen Menschen, die gerade ein bisschen Mut, Zuversicht und Hoffnung gebrauchen können und eine ruhige Erzählweise schätzen.
November 4, 2025
This is the moving story of Jago who after suffering a cardiac arrest and subsequent brain damage, goes to stay with his kind and caring Uncle Jacob at his farm near St Ives in Cornwall to continue his recovery.
It tells of Jago coming to terms with the consequences and limitations of his debilitating illness and is told with all the insight of the author’s own personal experience through Jago’s thoughts and moods.
The beautifully descriptive writing and attention to detail gives the book a strong sense of place and brings to life the countryside and the day to day life on the farm, taking care of the animals and producing vegetables to take to market. I loved reading about the preparation of meals – Jago making bread, Jacob baking fresh fish in the oven - there are some good tips I shall try out!
All should be well, even idyllic, and it would be but for the mystery of near neighbour Bill Sligo and his strange interest in the disused mineshaft on Jacob’s lower field which he is desperate to acquire. He is clearly up to no good and must be stopped. Jago knows he does not have the strength to stand up to Bill but feels he must investigate even though he may put himself in grave danger.
It was a pleasure to read this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Many thanks to Patrick Charnley, Random House Cornerstone and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
It tells of Jago coming to terms with the consequences and limitations of his debilitating illness and is told with all the insight of the author’s own personal experience through Jago’s thoughts and moods.
The beautifully descriptive writing and attention to detail gives the book a strong sense of place and brings to life the countryside and the day to day life on the farm, taking care of the animals and producing vegetables to take to market. I loved reading about the preparation of meals – Jago making bread, Jacob baking fresh fish in the oven - there are some good tips I shall try out!
All should be well, even idyllic, and it would be but for the mystery of near neighbour Bill Sligo and his strange interest in the disused mineshaft on Jacob’s lower field which he is desperate to acquire. He is clearly up to no good and must be stopped. Jago knows he does not have the strength to stand up to Bill but feels he must investigate even though he may put himself in grave danger.
It was a pleasure to read this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Many thanks to Patrick Charnley, Random House Cornerstone and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
September 13, 2025
Patrick Charnley's debut novel, This, My Second Life, is a beautiful and spare novel about a young man, Jago Trevarno, learning to live life again after suffering cardiac arrest. His recuperation takes him to his uncles farm in rural Cornwall, where his life is set onto a collision course with the nefarious Bill Sligo.
Charnley is the son of the much missed Helen Dunmore, he opens his novel by telling us some of this is drawn from life. This admission gives the reader pause to consider whether this is fiction or not - but soon the mechanisms of fiction writing kick in, and the novels begins to hurtle towards a dramatic denouement.
There is a lot to like in this novel - Charnley, whilst perhaps not the prose stylist his mother was - does have a distinctive voice of his own, and there is some very fine writing here. It is not a long novel, and went through it in one sitting. The local colour of Cornwall is well done, and the characterisation of Jago is well done - though how much of Jago is it's author is hard to say. What I will say is that when I had finished it I felt sure I would read another novel from Charnley, which is testament that he's written a good novel here.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Charnley is the son of the much missed Helen Dunmore, he opens his novel by telling us some of this is drawn from life. This admission gives the reader pause to consider whether this is fiction or not - but soon the mechanisms of fiction writing kick in, and the novels begins to hurtle towards a dramatic denouement.
There is a lot to like in this novel - Charnley, whilst perhaps not the prose stylist his mother was - does have a distinctive voice of his own, and there is some very fine writing here. It is not a long novel, and went through it in one sitting. The local colour of Cornwall is well done, and the characterisation of Jago is well done - though how much of Jago is it's author is hard to say. What I will say is that when I had finished it I felt sure I would read another novel from Charnley, which is testament that he's written a good novel here.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
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