If you’ve been looking for a thought-provoking book, check out “The Names” by Florence Knapp. (The novel would also make a great book club choice.) The theme of domestic violence and its effects runs throughout the plot, making some parts difficult to read. But resilience, hope and healing are major themes as well – and those sections kept me reading and loving “The Names.”
Cora is the wife of a respected doctor and mother to 9-year-old Maia. But their home life is a nightmare, because Cora’s husband is an abuser. In 1987, the couple were ready to name their newborn son . . . but should his name be Bear, Julian or Gordon? Cora knows that when she registers the baby’s name, her husband will have a reaction to which name she writes on the form. In 3 timelines, the novel follows Cora and her family through the next 35 years, with the choice of each name. Does a person’s name help decide life outcomes? Or do other choices influence the outcomes? Or is it both?
“The Names” kept popping back into my thoughts long after I’d finished reading it. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the writing style and the unique perspective of 3 timelines. I did have a little trouble keeping the stories/characters straight at first. Stick with it though – it gets much easier once you get absorbed in Cora’s, Maia’s and Bear’s/Julian’s/Gordan’s lives.
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