The Authenticity Project

This delightful, charming, and uplifting story about a group of individuals learning how to be their true selves is a real gem. Julian Jessop, a lonely, elderly artist, writes in a notebook, “Everyone lies about their lives. What would happen if you shared the truth instead?” He then leaves this notebook in a cafe, where it begins its journey through the lives of four people who all struggle to find balance between their public selves and their authentic selves.

The characters are what make this book stand out. They are complex and believable. The reader can see a bit of themselves in them. Monica's insecurities and Alice's struggles with parenthood are similar to what many women battle. Both women try so hard to appear to be in control and have it all sorted out, but the reader can appreciate the reality of their imperfections. One of my favorite lines from the book, “It took a lot of planning and hard work for Monica to be this relaxed,” rings so true to me. Pooley seems to “get it.” The male characters are just as flawed and intriguing. Hazard's struggle with addiction is portrayed as ongoing, not something that is easily fixed. It isn't sugar-coated.

The plot has just enough bumps and turns to keep the reader interested. Just when you think you have a character figured out, something surprises you. The end is mostly satisfying. I would change a couple things in the romance aspects of the book, but overall, I think the book finished as it should.

In the end, I finished this book with a smile on my face. I would definitely recommend it to any reader that enjoys a character-driven book in which people deal with real life struggles and learn to be their best selves.