The Names by Florence Knapp

The intriguing idea that the name we give a baby influences the sort of person they will become is the premise of Florence Knapp’s celebrated debut novel, The Names.

In the opening scene set in an English town, Cora, takes her 9-year-old daughter and a newborn son to register the boy’s name. On the way, she considers whether to follow her husband Gordon’s wishes to name him Gordon after himself and his father, both domineering men. Cora’s preference is for Julian, a name which she thinks will free the boy to become his own self. When asked what name she’d like for her brother, big sister Maia suggests Bear. She wants him to be cuddly and kind but also strong and brave.

Three alternative lives for the boy follow. Perhaps inspired by the UK research project and TV documentary, Seven Up, Knapp has presented the stories of Bear, Julian and Gordon in consecutive chapters at seven-year intervals. We revisit the three versions of the boy aged 7, 14, 21 etc until he is well into adulthood. We learn about his life and the lives of his family: his sister, his mother and his father to a lesser extent. Everything that happens springs from the registered name and his father’s reaction to it.

The three versions of the boy’s life are equally high in drama. While the novel deals with the dark topic of domestic violence, it is written with great humanity. If I had to describe its tone in one word, I would say ‘life-affirming’. The joy the characters find in ordinary life events, in nature and in objects transcends the inherent tragedy of the family’s situation. Some of the most affecting scenes take place between brother and sister and between characters who find love together. Most examples of human connection in the novel bring both joy and healing to the characters.

Above all else, The Names is an engrossing read. What a pleasure to find a book which makes you think about the characters not only while you are reading but also for many days afterwards.