The Names
It’s 1987 and we open with Cora on her way to the registrar’s office to name her newborn son. She knows that she’s to carry on the family tradition and name the boy after his father and grandfather, but she’s never liked the name Gordon. And will giving him that name destine him to the life of his domineering predecessors? Cora and her 9-year-old, Maia, entertain other name options along the way. From there the book diverges into three possible timelines spanning from 1987 to 2022 using three different names for the boy.
This book was heart-wrenching and asked the very poignant question, how much difference does one seemingly simple decision make? Literally, what’s in a name? And what legacy do parents leave for their children? How do patterns and trauma affect generations?
The book does not only follow the son, but each of the characters. It is like reading three books in one, each reality heartbreaking in its own way. Domestic abuse (graphic but detached descriptions) has ripples with every name choice, but the outcomes change because Cora and Gordon and their children change. The exploration of family dynamics was thorough and deep. The character development was significant. The situations were realistic even when enraging. The dialogue was exceptionally natural and I noted it even before reading the author’s thanks to her husband for pushing her to find the characters’ voices because “real people don’t talk like that.”
This isn’t a book of happy endings for all the characters, but it is moving, thought-provoking, and beautiful. I’d read it again. In fact, even though this was a library loan, I finally decided on a Book of the Month box selection for May and a personal copy is on its way. A stunning debut!
If any of the above intrigues you and you’ve been on the fence, consider this your push.
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This book contains explicit depictions of domestic abuse. It’s shared with slightly detached and distant language, in my opinion, but could be of concern for some readers.
This book is available through Book of the Month Club. Join with my referral link, and get your first monthly selection for $5. Then add this one to your box for $11.99.
