The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley is a novel that is a gloriously easy read. It’s a unique story and one that I feel like I’ve never read before, and I’ve devoured more than my fair share of novels. It’s also a novel that feels very pertinent for now. It tackles many themes including isolation, and I think most of us can relate to feeling that as we navigate our way through a pandemic.
Feeling The Nerves
Firstly, I should admit that I was very nervous about reading this book. Clare Pooley is someone I admire hugely. I have seen her speak live at the Jersey Literature Festival and I adored her honesty in the Sober Diaries, which is her brilliant and witty memoir. I was worried that this novel wouldn’t match up. How wrong I was! This is a deceptively clever novel about 6 strangers (a rather motley bunch) who are brought together via a green notebook and end up forging unlikely friendships with two even finding love.
The Authenticity Project is the brainchild of Julian, a lonely (and just a little bitter) artist who believes that most people are not truly honest with themselves, and so he decides to write in an innocuous notebook his “truth”. He then leaves the notebook, challenging the next person (Monica a café owner) who finds it, to write their own truth. The rest, as they say, is history. It leads to new adventures, new jobs and of course it leads to LOVE. But on the way it forces the characters to confront some uncomfortable home truths.
The notebook acts as almost a cathartic channel for all the characters. Somewhere for the characters to pour out their deepest fears and secrets. But it’s this willingness to acknowledge their vulnerability and failings that brings them together and has us, the reader, rooting for them.
As first I wasn’t sure if I would warm to the characters, some of them come across as annoying, others make you want to bang your head against the table in frustration. But as the novel progresses we get to see the characters for what they really are. Their masks soon slip and that’s when we fall in love with them. It’s a reminder to never judge a book by its cover; a person by their Instagram feed, you get the gist. What I am trying to say is that this story is a timely reminder to not judge. We never really know what is going on in someone’s life behind their front door.
Like A Warm Hug
This is a gentle read, a bit like a warm hug in the form of a book. It’s reassuring and uplifting. It’s a book that will reignite your faith in humans. It’s filled with humour and kindness and it will help you escape the monotony of this pandemic. However, don’t be fooled by the warm tone. This is still a novel that deals with many important themes – loneliness, old age, grief, addiction and motherhood. It’s a novel that breaks down the facades and unites us all.
The ending, although I predicted it, still made my breath catch in my throat and it did make me a little emotional. It is a happy ending though and let’s be honest, we are all here for happy endings right now.