The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

 

Julian is lonely. At 79 he's been a widow for fifteen years. He's an artist and as a younger man he was very much a socialite; now he can go days without speaking to anyone. One day Julian puts pen to paper and writes about how lonely his existence is in a notebook and leaves it in the local cafe hoping that someone else will follow his lead.

Back in February I was fortunate enough to get a review copy of The People On Platform 5 by Clare Pooley. This was a new author to me but the blurb sounded interesting and would give me a break from the thrillers I normally read. Little did I realise how much I would love the book, it actually became my favourite of the month. As a result of this I was determined that at some point I would find time to read the author's first novel, The Authenticity Project. I did approach this book with a little bit of trepidation as I'd loved The People On Platform 5 so much, thankfully I wasn't disappointed and loved this book just as much.

The author has a wonderful way of mixing an eclectic range of characters, some more likeable than others, and making the reader feel as if they are part of the group. As the notebook moves from one person to the next the group of characters increases and we begin to realise that with a little love and support problems can be solved and a community formed.

Each chapter focuses on a different member of the group, or introduces a new character, and this means that you don't become bogged down by one storyline or a character you don't like. It also means that we're occasionally left on hold wondering how a thread is going to continue.

Not every thread gets a fairy-tale happy ending but I'm pleased about that, with such a diverse mix you wouldn't expect every problem to be solved at the same time. When I finished The People On Platform 5 I said that it would be lovely to return in a couple of years time to see how their lives have progressed. I feel the same about The Authenticity Project, I'd love to return in a few years and see how my friends are doing.

If you are interested The People On Platform 5 will be published on 26th May 2022 in hardback, ebook and audio format.