The Fabulous Journey of the Book of Silences

A personal notebook passes from hand to hand, profoundly affecting each of its owners...

Monica gave up her career as a lawyer to fulfill her dream: opening a café on Fulham Road.

The day one of her customers forgets his notebook on a table, she can't resist reading it. The first pages reveal to her the confession of Julian Jessop, an eccentric, seventy-nine-year-old artist who expresses all his sadness and loneliness since the death of his wife.

Touched by this idea of revealing intimate feelings to strangers, Monica decides to continue the notebook before leaving it in a wine bar.

At the risk of seeing her destiny unexpectedly turned upside down...

Review from Librairie du Grimoire Ancien

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley is a delicate ensemble novel that explores the therapeutic power of writing and sharing. Through the journey of a personal notebook that circulates from hand to hand, the author weaves a subtle reflection on contemporary solitude, the need for human connection, and the magic of unforeseen encounters.

What distinguishes this story is its original narrative structure: each owner of the notebook deposits their silences, their pains, and their hopes, thus creating an invisible chain of confidences that progressively transforms destinies. Pooley masters the art of literary empathy, bringing to life endearing characters — from Julian Jessop, a grieving artist, to Monica, searching for meaning after a career change.

Published by Pocket and translated by Karine Guerre, this novel falls within the tradition of British feel-good books while maintaining authentic emotional depth. It particularly resonates with themes dear to Le Grimoire Ancien: the quest for self, the transmission of emotions, and the belief in a form of shared destiny. A comforting and inspiring read for all who believe in the power of words and encounters.

— La Librairie du Grimoire Ancien