Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One * Raphaëlle Giordano, Nick Caistor (Translator)

When a thirty-eight-year-old Parisian woman realizes that daily habits have quietly dulled her joy, an eccentric "routinologist" steps in to help her rediscover happiness through playful adventures and small, meaningful life changes.

The Story. Written by French novelist and personal development specialist Raphaëlle Giordano and translated into English by Nick Caistor, this novel brings an international French bestseller to English-speaking readers.

On the surface, Camille has everything she could wish for: a steady career, a loving husband, and a wonderful son, yet she cannot shake a quiet feeling that true fulfillment has slipped through her fingers. After a stormy evening car breakdown brings her to the doorstep of Claude Dupontel, a charming "routinologist," she agrees to embark on a series of creative, everyday challenges designed to cure her "routine-itis." Blending warm storytelling with gentle, practical wisdom, Camille's journey unfolds through surprising escapades, decluttering rituals, and heartfelt conversations that help her reconnect with her childhood dreams and the people she loves most.

Perfect For. Book clubs and readers who enjoy warm, uplifting stories about personal renewal alongside titles like Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, François Lelord's Hector and the Search for Happiness, Nina George's The Little Paris Bookshop, or Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love.

First published 2015; this edition 2018 by G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Contemporary & Women's Fiction / French Literature in Translation / Uplifting & Feel-Good Fiction / Personal Growth & Self-Discovery / Parisian Life & Romance / Book Club Favorites