Now Read This: “The Authenticity Project,” by Clare Pooley

Fifteen years after his wife’s death in “The Authenticity Project” by Clare Pooley, Julian Jessop admits he is tired of his predictable lifestyle. The days all blend together, and he feels as if he is just waiting for his life to end. But every so often when his daily life gets too familiar, he forces himself to make new decisions and try new things. Normally this means he will read a new magazine or find a new place to eat. However, one of his spontaneous decisions takes him to Monica’s Café, where he leaves a notebook that asks those who find it to write down the one thing that defines them. He wants to see if this could change someone’s life. Julian’s story includes everything from his biggest regrets to his everyday routines, all of which culminate in the main truth he reveals: he is lonely.

However, when Julian leaves the notebook containing his story in a chair at the café, he doesn’t realize the impact it will have on its future recipients. His notebook falls into the hands of the café owner, an addict, a mother, an Australian visiting London and others. Each person who ends up with this notebook slips a few secrets into its pages before ending up at Monica’s Café. This book explores what happens when people decide to openly disclose their deepest worries or struggles. It shows the way one person’s world changes when others are intimately aware of their truths.

I really enjoyed Clare Pooley’s “The Authenticity Project.” I have noticed lately that I sometimes struggle to start books, but Pooley’s writing has a spark that drew me in quickly. Her descriptions are often unexpected, and because she writes from multiple points of view, she gives a lot of insight into these characters’ personalities. It was easy to enjoy Clare’s writing, but I also liked the way she pulled distant characters together while showing how each person adjusted to the changes this notebook brought them.

I would definitely recommend this book, and if you are looking for something similar, “My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry” by Fredrik Backman is the story of a granddaughter passing around the letters her grandmother wrote before dying and the effect these letters have on the granddaughter and the letters’ recipients. Both of these books are available at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.