The Names by Florence Knapp

“She wonders again if she is doing this right. Any of it, all of it. If it’s even the right thing for Gordon himself to be carrying on this tradition. Maybe consenting to live in the shadow of his father and his father’s father is only perpetuating the likeness, increasing the weight of it for him. Perhaps calling their child something different would be a liberation. Not at first, but later.” - Cora

Remember when Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" asks what's in a name?

The Names by Florence Knapp demonstrate how a person's name can become a driver of their life's path. The story is centered around Cora, her husband Gordon, and their children Maia and a son whose birth and name needs to be registered. But it is more. It is also how the choice Cora makes around naming their son negatively impacts the already damaged relationship between Cora and her husband.

In Gordon's family there is a tradition that boys are named Gordon and this is what her husband expects to happen. Cora is reluctant to do this. As she is on her way to the registrar's office, she asks Maia what she would like to name her baby brother - she answers Bear. Cora is partial to the name Julian. From here the story bends into something that at least this reader didn't expect.

The Names is an engaging and insightful novel. It is three stories - of Bear, Julian and Gordon - and each name directly and immediately impacts the trajactory of the family. The impact revolves around who senior Gordon is as a person and how he responds to the name his son is given. It is heavy, sad, frustrating and at times, encouraging. The reader learns pretty early on that the senior Gordon is a Jekyl and Hyde type of character and his presence has varying degrees of influence on his son based on the name the son is given and therefore the path the family must walk based on that choice. The ramifications on Cora and her children are stunting and at times hard to read.

This was a book club read but I had this on my personal list as well. I enjoyed it very much but overall the group didn't score The Names too high and many commented they didn't like it. I believe that is because of the senior Gordan character and his relationship with Cora. There were also a few that didn't care for Cora, didn't feel she was a strong enough person and could have done more to help her children and herself. Everyone agreed that the younger Gordon's story arc was the most satisfying - he was the one most influenced by having senior Gordan as a father. Because of the behavior senior Gordan displays, the younger Gordan's life spirals downward. After a life-altering event, his character growth becomes most significant. His journey opens his eyes to what has been happening around him ultimately leading to a resolution that promises hope.

Bear was the character least influenced by who his father was, for a very specific reason, and his internal struggle came across as more of a maturity issue. Rather, Bear's story represents how events shape but do not define a family and dynamics can be changed as opposed to repeated. Julian's story sits in the middle - the paternal influence felt through a most horrifying event - resulting in him becoming quiet and emotionally distant, afraid that his father's genes may get the best of him. After his wife leaves and as Maia shares stories of their childhood, he realizes he is not like his father and thus gains emotional freedom.

The Names is about identity, the power of family, breaking generational trauma, and nature versus nurture. It shows how a single choice can shape an entire family’s fate, Readers who like stories that span time, are nuanced and have depth will appreciate this novel.