Review of THE NAMES by Florence Knapp

 3.5 Stars

I listened to this book on my morning walks, but I wish I had read a physical copy.

Cora, though married to a well-respected physician, is trapped in an abusive marriage. As the novel begins, she has just had a second child, a son; their daughter Maia is nine years old. Gordon, Cora’s husband, wants their son to be given his name as is the tradition in his family. Cora dislikes the name and fears it will shape her son into another domineering man like his father and paternal grandfather. She favours Julian, a name meaning sky father, which she hopes will be an acceptable compromise because it honours Gordon’s paternity. Maia suggests Bear because it implies not only softness and kindness but also strength and bravery. At the registrar’s office, Cora picks one of these names, at which point the narrative divides into three, each showing how the lives of the son and his family develop differently as a consequence of the name choice.

The novel, set in England, begins in October of 1987 and covers a span of 35 years. Each section is set 7 years apart and each is divided into 3 sections, one for each name choice.

I found, however, that the book is not really about the impact of names but on the consequences of one’s choices. It is Cora’s decision and Gordon’s reactions to that decision which impact the son’s life and that of Cora and Maia as well. If Cora surrenders to her fear and acquiesces to her husband’s wishes and names their son Gordon, will he end up bullied as his father was bullied by his own and so perpetuate the pattern of behaviour? If she finds the courage to choose the name she most prefers, will it empower her and her son? If Cora chooses to be reckless and opts for a totally unconventional name, will that just escalate Gordon’s violence?

It is the effects of domestic violence that are explored. Regardless of the name Cora chooses for her son, the abusive environment in which he and Maia live shapes their lives. If the abuse continues, that will inevitably influence the children. If Cora were able to leave the relationship and take the children with her, the father’s absence would have an effect. If Gordon gained sole custody of the children, as Cora fears, the mother’s absence would have an effect. The message is that an abusive environment inevitably shapes children and even their removal from it is impactful.

As I mentioned, I listened to an audio version and that choice may explain my difficulty in keeping track of the three storylines. When the narrative returned to a particular storyline, I was hard pressed to remember what had previously happened. Furthermore, the 7-year gaps between chapters means that little of what happened in the intervening time period is explained. And that structure does not allow for development of minor characters. Orla and Lily, for example, remain vague.

Potential readers need to be warned that the marketing of the novel (as a book that asks whether a name can change the course of a life) is misleading. The book is more about the implications of one’s decisions and about domestic abuse and its long-term effects on family members. And some of the violence is described in horrific detail.