Florence Knapp’s debut novel, The Names, grips from the outset. The book opens in the midst of a thunderstorm and presents a weighty dilemma: “tomorrow—if morning comes, if the storm stops raging—Cora will register the name of her son. Or perhaps, and this is her real concern, she’ll formalize who he will become.” What name will Cora choose for her infant, suspecting as she does that it will define his destiny?
This poignant premise underpins the narrative that follows, charting the journeys of Cora and her two children over a span of 35 years. We witness their lives unfold through a tapestry of different timelines, each shaped by the choice of a different name for Cora’s son. In one, he gets the name his 9-year-old sister, Maia, likes, Bear; in another, Cora gives him her own favorite name, Julian. Then, there is her husband’s selection, Gordon—a name passed down in his family that Cora fears will also transfer his legacy of anger and abuse to the boy. Each timeline reveals the long-lasting impacts of domestic violence on a family and a life.
The Names mesmerizes with writing that is both visceral and beautifully crafted, containing something of the timeless quality of Foster by Claire Keegan. Knapp’s economical language delivers powerful, full-bodied imagery that captures the stakes for the characters in every line. Readers will be immersed in Cora’s struggle to survive and in her children’s efforts to pick up and respond to even the subtlest family dynamics: Maia learns how to placate her father and her brother learns how to deflect attention from himself, understanding that doing what keeps the peace is sometimes necessary, even when it conflicts with doing what’s right. Masterfully working with all three timelines, Knapp presents a complex and deeply affecting story, at once heartrending and hopeful.