The Authenticity Project

Monica is the first character who finds the green notebook. She is an independent and intelligent woman who feels self-conscious that she is not married. Monica desperately wants to be a mother, but subconsciously believes that she is unworthy of love. Monica extends kindness and generosity to others. She could have read the green notebook and left it alone; instead, she tracks Julian down and creates a space for him to restart his life in her café. Monica is well-organized and anxious about spaces, but this doesn’t mean she can’t share space. Because of her generous spirit, Monica is the glue that holds the group together.

Monica is sensitive to the idea that other people judge her, yet she judges others with a harsh eye. Furthermore, she believes that her internal conflict stems from being single, when in fact her major conflict is coming to terms with her mother’s death. Monica stays true to her independent spirit and ultimately decides that she doesn’t need to settle with a man to be happy. Her development of self-love makes her available to the relationship she always wanted. After loving herself, she can finally accept Hazard’s love.

Hazard finds the green notebook at a serendipitous time in his life: the start of his journey into sobriety. Hazard struggles with a drug and alcohol addiction, which makes his character meaner and dismissive of other people’s feelings. When he becomes sober, he is forced to deal with the variety of emotions he is accustomed to suppressing. Hazard’s character development is tied to his issues with sobriety. He likes himself better sober, but it also doesn’t make him happy. Hazard’s relapse is the plot twist that ultimately leads to his character development. In relapsing, Hazard is better able to appreciate the variety of feelings he struggled with while sober. The relapse allows Hazard to fully commit to being human. Falling in love with Monica replaces the stimulation and comfort he used to seek out with drugs and alcohol. But his relationship with Monica is possible because he forgives himself for his former behavior and believes that he is worthy of rehabilitation. Hazard overcomes his addiction and starts an entirely new life.

Riley is an Australian tourist who is given the green notebook by Hazard. Riley decides to seek out the Monica he reads about in the notebook and falls in love with her despite being dishonest about knowing the innermost thoughts she expressed in the notebook. Riley is kind and has a sunny disposition, which makes him easily likable, but his gift is also his curse. Because he approaches the world with positivity, Riley’s struggles are never appreciated with the same level of compassion that other characters receive. He is aware that people find him too simple for deep feelings, so he struggles with his internal conflicts on his own. As an Australian, he has a difficult time adapting to English attitudes and the speed of London. But he tries to fit in and is ultimately rejected. Riley represents the character who is easily overlooked. He is Pooley’s warning to her reader to be careful with how people deem who is worthy of empathy. Every person has struggles, and Riley’s rejection is an example of what can happen when we don’t pay close enough attention.