The Names by Florence Knapp

Hello my lovely readers! Oh my, how I loved this book! Let's get into it.

SYNOPSIS

In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register her son's birth. Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor, respected in the community but a terrifying and controlling presence at home, intends for her to name the infant after him. But when the registrar asks what she'd like to call the child, Cora hesitates...

Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of Cora's and her young son's lives, shaped by her choice of name. In richly layered prose, The Names explores the painful ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities of autonomy and healing.

MY THOUGHTS
This book was fantastic. It was heartbreakingly beautiful and highly original.

It took me a little time to get used to the format, but once I understood it, then I LOVED it. This book is truly unlike any other books that I've read and I found myself drawn to more original, off-beat, literary fiction (i.e. Strangers, I Who Have Never Known Men, Unravelling, The Woman in Valencia). 

The Names also brings up such a great question of "How does a name affect your life?" I found myself thinking about this a lot. My parents gave my siblings and I biblical names. My name means pleasant.

When it came to naming my daughter, I'd always loved the name Charlotte...since I was a little girl. However, I did toy around with naming her Eileen (her grandmother's middle name). Ultimately, my husband and I decided to choose a first name that we liked and then give our children the middle names of our parents.  

The Names is an incredibly thought-provoking book. After I was finished reading it thanks to Libby, I just had to buy it and add it to my shelf. It's definitely a book that I will re-read.