“Everyone lies about their lives. What would happen if you shared the truth instead? The one thing that defines you, that makes everything else about you fall into place? Not on the internet, but with those real people around you?”

These questions, posed by Julian in his notebook entitled “The Authenticity Project,” spark inspiration in both Monica and Hazard. People are eager to fit into society, which makes vulnerability difficult. This dynamic is made worse by the Internet, in which people can disappear behind inauthentically constructed online selves. The ultimate challenge in these questions is defining what “makes everything else about you fall into place.” Julian, Hazard, and Monica, are still searching.

“In a world where everything seemed to be electronic and paper was a rapidly disappearing medium, Julian had found The Library, where the smell of old books mingled with the aroma of freshly ground coffee, wonderfully nostalgic.”

As Julian ages, the world continues to progress and change in profound ways. This exacerbates his loneliness. Whereas Julian used to be popular, now he is lonely and nearly forgotten. Julian finds comfort in Monica’s book nook, which inspires him to leave the notebook for another person who finds the same kind of comfort from old-fashioned objects. Here, Pooley uses books as a metaphor for Julian’s loss of popularity and self. If someone can appreciate books, then they can also appreciate Julian.

“Being the boss was all very well, she told her mother, inside her head, and she loved her café, the essence of which had seeped into her bones, but it was lonely.”

Being a boss is empowering but also stressful, and Monica no longer has the supportive network she once had with her mother. Owning the café is an homage to her deceased mother, who loved cafes and would have been proud of Monica’s sense of independence.