T H E A U T H E N T I C I T Y P R O J E C T

// The Authenticity Project // Clare Pooley // Book Review 5⭐️ //

Heartwarming, Quirky, Life Affirming.

Monica is cleaning up in her Cafe, when she finds a notebook left on a table. ‘The Authenticity Project’ is a notebook left by Julian, 79 and lonely. Writing the truth about his life, he leaves it for Monica to find and help. What happens next, is an emotional chain of events that will change everyone it touches.

In an age of Instagram and social media, we could all do with a little bit more authenticity in our lives. The story, has a set of quirky, far from perfect characters, that make you realise that we all show the world what we think they want to see. We all have an effect on everyone else around us, even a small ripple can cause waves. I loved the fresh, emotional writing Pooley portrays, it filled me with warmth and hope. It makes you put your own life under the microscope, to evaluate how authentic you truly are.

So here is my truth: I worry too much about what other people think of me, I’m stubborn and lack confidence. I’m rubbish at messaging back, it’s not that I mean to, I just read it and worry about what to write back. I’m awkward and struggle in large social situations, I struggle with anxiety about everything and sometimes I have panic attacks. I rarely ask for help. I love being a mother but sometimes it’s bloody hard. Behind my glossy pictures, my house is usually a mess of toys/washing, that I tidy up a million times a day. But life is messy and my family makes it 100% worth it all.