For a woman, aging is not a simple matter. This is what Murielle Joudet states in the introduction to her magnificent book 'The Second Woman', now released in Portugal with a translation by Isabel Lopes (Zigurate, 2026). Joudet, a film critic for Le Monde, explores the lives of actresses on screen and how they intersect with their private biographies. Through the lens of cinema, she examines the 'second woman' who haunts all women as they age, using examples ranging from Nicole Kidman and Thelma Ritter to Meryl Streep, Isabelle Huppert, and Bette Davis.