THE NAMES

by Florence Knapp

The most astonishing feature of The Names isn’t Knapp’s beautifully written story of one woman’s decision about what to name her son and how that decision affects the rest of his life and the lives of the other members of his family.  What is truly remarkable is that Knapp has written three different captivating stories about the same family, each one different from the others because the name she chooses for her son is different.

As the book begins, Cora sets off to register the birth of her son at the town hall with strict instructions from her husband that she is to name the boy after him, just as he was named after his father.  But Cora struggles with that directive.  She worries that Gordon might grow up to be domineering, maybe even abusive, if she names him after her husband, his father.  And indeed, Knapp, develops an entire story about the son who grows up with his father’s name—and how that affects not only him, but his sister and mother as well.

Alternating chapters with the son named Gordon, is the story of Julian—the name Cora chooses last minute in defiance of her husband.  Julian grows up to be very different from Gordon and the family dynamic is dissimilar, as well.  And the third storyline is when Cora names her son Bear, the name his sister chooses for him.  If it sounds confusing, trust me it isn’t.  Knapp has written three seamless stories, each as compelling as the next.  And she moves from one story to the next with grace and precision.  The Names explores how Cora’s decision impacts four lives over 35 years.  All three stories are about love, the repercussions of domestic abuse and the quest for self-determination.

In The Names, Knapp has written one family’s story in a truly original way.  You won’t be able to stop reading it until you’ve absorbed every page.  And after you’ve finished reading, you’ll still be thinking about this amazing first novel. (Liz)