Journey through domestic violence and identity

ON MY BOOKSHELF

- LIESL VAN DER SCHYFF

AS 2026 was being rung in, the Joburg weather made staying indoors an easy choice. The Names by Florence Knapp was the first book I read for the new year, and it turned out to be a difficult one.

This was by no means a comforting novel, it deals directly with domestic violence and the long-term effects it has on families, particularly children.

The story begins in the aftermath of a storm, as Cora walks with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to the government to register the birth of her son. Her husband, Gordan, is respected in the community and successful in his profession, but at home is controlling and intimidating. He expects the baby to be named after him following a longstanding family tradition.

Cora hesitates, and that hesitation becomes the point at which the novel splits into three different versions of their lives.