What’s in a name? More than Shakespeare might have led us to believe, according to research. Florence Knapp’s strikingly assured debut novel, The Names, takes this idea and gives it a high-concept twist. Set in October 1987, Cora, trapped in a wretched and abusive marriage, has just had a second baby, a son. As she and her nine-year-old daughter Maia push the pram through the debris of the Great Storm to register the birth, they discuss names. Cora’s husband Gordon insists the baby will take his name, but Cora shrinks from the prospect, fearing it will corrupt his innocence and lock him into a chain of violent men. Cora prefers Julian; Maia suggests Bear.
At the registrar’s desk, Cora must pick one – and with that, the narrative divides into three. First, Cora impetuously decides on Bear. The second time, she opts for Julian. Finally, she folds and agrees to Gordon. Three names, three choices with different consequences, and three distinct stories that fork from a single decision. The novel spans the next 35 years, each section set seven years apart and divided into Bear, Julian and Gordon.
The rigid structure can occasionally feel overly schematic but mostly works, partly because Knapp has a light touch. Deftly and with great tenderness, she explores the complex effects of domestic abuse. She offers no easy answers: the Cora who stands up to her brutal husband cannot guarantee happiness any more than the Cora who placates him. A boy who grows up never knowing his father carries a different burden from one whose family is torn apart by violence, and a different burden again from the boy relentlessly bullied at home. All three must reckon with their emotional past.
Knapp’s plotting is skilful, her tapestry of stories cleverly woven. Characters that play a significant role in one storyline appear fleetingly in others. Personality traits emerge in subtly different forms. As nature meets nurture, Cora, Maia and Bear/Julian/Gordon grow into distinct versions but remain recognisably themselves. There are times when scenes feel rushed, depth sacrificed to the breadth of the enterprise. Cora’s GP husband Gordon, a paragon outside the home and a monster within it, is a frustratingly one-dimensional villain. Such cavils aside, The Names stands out as a compelling debut.
