Debbie Stone and Gini Cunningham
Gini: Well, to say the least, this is an amazing read. I started the book wondering about the name alternatives for Cora and Gordon’s infant son, each explained but not truly understood. While reviews state it focuses on the question, “…can a name change the course of one’s life?”, the book reveals so much more – about families, decisions, and pursuit of purpose.
Cora, married to Gordon, expects their second child. He determines the child must be named after him, a long line of Gordon’s, while sister Maia votes for Bear and Mom prefers Julian.
Which name will prevail or maybe all three have merit? Cora’s talent as a baller ina serves her as she twirls and leaps through the physical and psychological abuse of her husband while standing guard over her children.
When teen Maia reflects that the average number of times abused women return to a spouse is seven, she asserts, “… but that’s the average. What if for Mum it is many more?”
At the outset, I sensed Cora as the main character, but as the story unwinds, Bear, Julian, and Gordon are the central point of each chapter, titled in that revolving order. A bit confusing, Knapp describes the individual boys through the lens of that particular name. Gordon, for example, chooses banking as his profession.
Although his father is displeased that he did not follow in his steps as a medical doctor, he is happy with the piles of money his son accrues.
Thus unfolds each namesake – Bear, soft, cuddly, and strong; Julian, sky father and jewel; Gordon, great hill, immovable and looming. Just as I began to comprehend the changing name scenarios, at the end, there is one more name tossed into the mix. This final option really throws a wrench into the works as it intensifies to the prospects of a person’s name.
What is in a name? I’m Virginia, “the last of the Virginia Lipscombs”, as my father would say. My grandfather ventured west in the late 1800s, married, and had a daughter and two sons; the sons later wed resulting in 6 daughters and so Dad’s saying. I kid that Virginia is the naughty one even as I understand that the onery one is actually Gini. The former is mature and sedate, the latter is free and active. There is value in my name. When we chose names for our three children, much thought and attention went into the selection, centering on important relatives and their impact on us.
At the back of the book Knapp writes each character’s name with a description of its meaning. Now this is a little unfair as she creates roles and then feels free to decide on names that fulfill that position in the book. We are delivered a name at birth and as we grow, situations and opportunities shape and define us. My nickname appeared in second grade, but what if I had remained Virginia – would anything have been different in my preferences or other’s perceptions?
Debbie: What’s in a name? Didn’t Shakespeare pose this question years ago? “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”? I do not recall that there is a definitive answer for Romeo. And there isn’t one in Florence Knapp’s book, The Names, either. Knapp has a very interesting and unique concept for this book… a sliding door where we follow three outcomes based on the name given to one child - three diverse outcomes for one baby boy. The book moves in time from 1987 to 2022, in separate storylines, by seven-year jumps and fallbacks. We watch this one boy live three completely different lives based on his name.
I enjoyed this book very much. The story is slow, quiet, and beautiful, although it does touch on trauma and abuse. The author doesn’t focus on that, but chooses to steer us to wonder about family, relationships, and how we become who we are. It leaves the reader thinking, how much power does our name really have?
I laugh because my name was going to be Michelle until the day I was born. Then they changed to Debbie because of Debbie Reynolds.
Gini: We both liked this read, for the curiosity of names and their affect. Debbie recognizes trauma and abuse as a background while I view it as the sullen ghost haunting every character as each struggles to escape or avoid father Gordon’s furious domination. I had to laugh because my name was going to be Michelle until the day I was born. And then they changed to Debbie because of Debbie Reynolds.