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Thursday, February 6, 2020

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

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When someone asks you 'How are you today?', how often do you give an honest answer?  Have you caught yourself politely asking someone how they are doing, but then not listening to their answer?  What would happen if you told the truth?  If you shared your true authentic self?

The Authenticy Project begins with an old, lonely man, Julian.  He spends days in bed, eats all his meals alone, sometimes out of a can in bed.  He used to have a life full of friends and fun.  He used to be an artist.  Now he is none of those things.  One day Julian writes his authentic truth in a notebook.  After his story he challenges whoever finds the book to share their truth.  He leaves the notebook in his local coffee shop.

Monica owns the coffee shop and finds the notebook while cleaning up.  What's Monica's truth?  She wants to get married and have a baby.  Certainly 79 year old Julian isn't the match for her but she can help with his loneliness.  She posts a flyer in the coffee shop window trying to entice Julian to come teach an art class.

With a little help from the next recipient of the project book a new group of friends is formed over an art class in the coffee shop.  But is telling your authentic truth to strangers a good idea?  Does life stay the same or is it life changing?

I really enjoyed The Authenticity Project.  I loved all the characters and wanted to find out all their truths and how they were changed for sharing them.