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Sign up todayThe Authenticity Project
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Learn moreBookseller recommendation
“A little green notebook, well-meaning characters, and a lot of misunderstanding make for a great quirky, entertaining, and sweet novel!”
— Rebecca • Rediscovered Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Lovely story with great characters! Light enough, but still moving. I'm a little sad to be finished with it, honestly, and I'm already hoping for a sequel. Are you listening Penguin Random House? Sequel, please!”
— Miranda • A Little Bookish
Bookseller recommendation
“The list of books I would put into everyone's hands if I could is rather short, but this one has joined the others there. It's charming and kind in a way you don't get nearly often enough, and the characters are as diverse as they are real and complex. Also just a lovely audiobook.”
— Jane • Rediscovered Books
Bookseller recommendation
“I am in love with the Authenticity Project. I'm ready to write down my own story and leave it at my favorite cafe with the hope of only a teeny bit of the magic these characters find once they tell their truth. I listened to the audio of the novel through Libro.fm. I normally listen to books while I clean to help pass the time. I found myself cleaning for 6 hours because I did not want to stop this novel once I started. A friend described this as if "Love Actually" and "Friends" had a baby, this book would be it and I have to agree! Great, unique, present day read.”
— Kelly • M. Judson Booksellers
Bookseller recommendation
“Sometimes, especially in this digital age, we get caught up in the idea that while our lives are a mess, everyone else has got it together. And maybe — as Clare Pooley explores in The Authenticity Project — if we were all just honest about our insecurities and difficulties and worries, it would be easier for people to form stronger bonds. This is a charming book with a sweet love story, but at its heart it’s a reminder that we need each other more than we need our phones.”
— Melissa Fox • Watermark Books
A New York Times bestseller
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
Clare Pooley's next book, Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting, is forthcoming
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.
Clare Pooley graduated from Cambridge University and then spent twenty years in the heady world of advertising before becoming a full-time writer. Her debut novel, The Authenticity Project, was a New York Times bestseller, and has been translated into 29 languages. Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting is her second novel; her third novel, How to Age Disgracefully, is forthcoming. Pooley lives in Fulham, London, with her husband, three children, and two border terriers.
Reviews
Praise for The Authenticity Project:“The Authenticity Project is an enjoyable read that is cozy – or as its British characters would have it, cosy – in the best sense of the word.”
—USA Today
“A well-suited subject for the Instagram era, this book makes you realize that no one's life is what it seems.”
—Good Morning America
“A warm, charming tale about the rewards of revealing oneself, warts and all.”
—People
"It all feels like a warm hug."
—The Washington Post
“Heartwarming.”
—Real Simple
“An enjoyable, cozy novel that touches on tough topics.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“[A] wistful, humorous tale. . . a beautiful and illuminating story of self-creation.”
—Publishers Weekly
“I loved The Authenticity Project. It has such an intriguing premise, wonderful characters and is utterly truthful about the lies that we all tell. It’s a clever, uplifting book that entertains and makes you think.”
—Sophie Kinsella, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Confessions of a Shopaholic
“The Authenticity Project cracks the facades that people present to the world and shows what happens when you're willing to share your true self. This is a story of love, of community, of found family, and of forgiveness. A beautiful book with a poignant message, perfect for our time.”
—Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost
“The Authenticity Project is a rich roast of great characters, even better relationships, wonderful entanglements, and a few surprises along the way. If Monica’s Cafe were a real place, I’d stop by every day.”
—Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is
“The Authenticity Project reads like a gorgeous box of chocolates: sweet, surprising and impossible not to love. I found myself cheering, cringing, laughing and crying as I read this book and – above all – remembering the true value of community and human connection.”
—Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics
“Insightful, timely, and utterly addictive, The Authenticity Project illuminates the importance of discovering - and honoring - our truest, most imperfect selves.”
—Georgia Hunter, New York Times bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones
“Fans of Fredrik Backman and Gail Honeyman—make room on your shelves for Clare Pooley. The Authenticity Project is a stunning debut and it left me inspired to share more of myself with the world.”
—Steven Rowley, bestselling author of The Editor
“It’s full of life’s truths, funny, poignant and ultimately uplifting. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
—Fanny Blake, author of A Summer Reunion
"One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Original, engaging, and unforgettable."
—Sarah Morgan, bestselling author of A Wedding in December
“It's a joyous, funny read that leaves you all warm inside.”
—Beth Morrey, author of The Love Story of Missy Carmichael
“Beautifully written, thought-provoking, and uplifting, The Authenticity Project is a warm and endearing tale about truth, friendship and the power of connection. Pooley's characters will stay with you long after you turn the final page. It was a joy to read.”
—Mike Gayle, author of The Hope Family Calendar
“A heart-warming, feel-good story about love, loss and what it means to be human. Pooley’s debut is gloriously upbeat and gorgeously readable.”
—Annabel Abbs, author of The Joyce Girl Expand reviews