Spanning a period of thirty-five years, we first meet Cora as she, her infant son and her nine-year-old daughter Maia head for the office where she has been told by her abusive and domineering husband to register the child's first name as Gordon. Β There is no room for discussion as the baby is to bear his father's name. Cora just couldn't do it and instead chose the name her daughter suggested. Β When she tells her husband what she has done, all hell breaks loose and there are consequences that impact the family for decades. Β However, there is much more to THE NAMES, because the author gives readers two more versions of what follows if Cora had chosen to actually name the boy Gordon and if she had chosen yet one other name.
The format and structuring of the narratives are mesmerizing. Told in alternating timelines and different versions, the author explores the results and the repercussions of one perhaps spur-of-the-moment decision.
In each scenario, the paths of the characters' lives vary, but they are, for the most part, the same people whose characteristics have changed. There is one horrid commonality and that is the monster Cora was married to. Β How did a respected and gifted physician wreak so much pain in just one lifetime?
THE NAMES, by Florence Knapp, is a must-read for those looking for a unique and intriguing book. Told with sensitivity and emotion, THE NAMES is a book that will stay with readers long after its conclusion. Highly recommended.
The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?
In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register her son's birth. Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor, respected in the community but a terrifying and controlling presence at home, intends for her to name the infant after him. But when the registrar asks what she'd like to call the child, Cora hesitates...
Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of Cora's and her young son's lives, shaped by her choice of name. In richly layered prose, The Names explores the painful ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities of autonomy and healing.
With exceptional sensitivity and depth, Knapp draws us into the story of one family, told through a prism of what-ifs, causing us to consider the "one . . . precious life" we are given. The book’s brilliantly imaginative structure, propulsive storytelling, and emotional, gut-wrenching power are certain to make The Names a modern classic.
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