The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

The Authenticity Project

by Clare Pooley

A WASHINGTON POST “FEEL-GOOD BOOK guaranteed to lift your spirits”

“A warm, charming tale about the rewards of revealing oneself, warts and all.”
—People

The story of a solitary green notebook that brings together six strangers and leads to unexpected friendship, and even love

Julian Jessop, an eccentric, lonely artist and septuagenarian believes that most people aren't really honest with each other. But what if they were? And so he writes—in a plain, green journal—the truth about his own life and leaves it in his local café. It's run by the incredibly tidy and efficient Monica, who furtively adds her own entry and leaves the book in the wine bar across the street. Before long, the others who find the green notebook add the truths about their own deepest selves—and soon find each other In Real Life at Monica's Café.

The Authenticity Project's cast of characters—including Hazard, the charming addict who makes a vow to get sober; Alice, the fabulous mommy Instagrammer whose real life is a lot less perfect than it looks online; and their other new friends—is by turns quirky and funny, heartbreakingly sad and painfully true-to-life. It's a story about being brave and putting your real self forward—and finding out that it's not as scary as it seems. In fact, it looks a lot like happiness.

The Authenticity Project is just the tonic for our times that readers are clamoring for—and one they will take to their hearts and read with unabashed pleasure.

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

5 of 5 stars

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Rating: 4.5 Stars

While drowning in his own regret and loneliness, Julian embarked on a challenge, for himself and others, to be their most authentic selves. He shared his confessions in a small green notebook, which he then left in a public place, for others to do the same. This started a chain reaction of confessions and passing on the notebook, which led to connection, friendship, forgiveness, and redemption.

In the first part of this book, Pooley masterfully wove these stories together in such a beautiful way. I was absolutely delighted with the way these people, who were loosely connected, became part of each other's orbits. Small gestures, turned into big gestures, which grew and grew into something rather wonderful. They were an eclectic bunch, but formed quite a lovely "family".

Pooley threw in a few surprises there, which were interesting, but even without those, I still would have loved this story. The characters were quirky and interesting and flawed, but they had so much heart. The story made me laugh and cry. It both caused my heart to warm and to break. It was just a beautiful look at the power of real human connection, which really touched me in a very positive way.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 January, 2020: Finished reading
  • 14 January, 2020: Reviewed