Recent Reviews
The Names by Florence Knapp
Can a person’s name change the course of a life? This is the profound question Florence Knapp investigates in her novel The Names. Spanning thirty-five years, the book employs an inventive structure to reveal how a single decision can create subtle, subconscious feelings that seep into family relationships. With remarkable skill, Knapp illuminates the ways emotional signals shape the dynamics within a family.
At the heart of the story is Cora Atkins, a mother trapped in an abusive marriage. As she prepares to register her newborn son's birth, she contemplates three possible names for him: “Bear,” suggested by her nine-year-old daughter, Maia; “Julian,” meaning “father sky,” which is Cora's personal preference; or “Gordon,” the name of her husband and his father. The novel delves into each of these naming possibilities. Chapters alternate between scenarios in which the boy is named Bear, Julian, or Gordon. Every seven years, the narrative revisits the boy’s life, effectively presenting three interwoven novellas within a single novel.
While the narrative contains elements of hope, the overall tone is heavy and challenging. Cora’s husband, a respected physician, is an abusive narcissist. The father’s attitude toward his son shifts based on the chosen name ranging from derision or indifference or pride. The boy’s mother and sister also treat him differently in each scenario. Ultimately, the novel is less about the importance of a name and more about the consequences of domestic abuse on children. The true focus is on Cora’s response to her husband’s abuse and whether she chooses to leave or remain. This shapes the family’s complex dynamics and influences her children’s futures.
The Names is a haunting novel. Though at times painful, it is written with skill and rouses deep reflection. By the conclusion, the story offers glimpses of hope and the possibility of healing. Overall, it is a compelling and well-crafted novel. 4/5.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Happy Holidays. Hoping that 2025 was filled with family, friends and many enlightening books. Thanks for visiting
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Warmly, Kathy
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!” — Jane Austen
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The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Virginia Evans’s novel The Correspondent radiates warmth, wisdom, insight, and humor. Structured as a collection of letters and emails, the narrative beautifully explores the inner world of a woman’s life while offering her unique perspective on the human experience. The book also celebrates the value and magic of the written word making this novel my favorite of 2025.
Each morning, 73-year-old Sybil Van Antwerp sits down to write letters, a daily ritual she has maintained for much of her life. Her correspondence includes neighbors, colleagues, authors, her brother, her children, her best friend, and one person to whom she writes without ever sending the letters. Expressing her thoughts and emotions through correspondence s becomes her way of connecting with others, while also maintaining distance. Sybil is divorced, a mother of two living children and a retired lawyer. Her personality is marked by stubbornness, sarcasm, and sassiness, yet she also possesses a strong sense of manners and decorum.
Self-sufficiency has long been her pride, but she is gradually losing her sight. Uncomfortable as it is, she finds herself needing help from other people. Ironically, as her vision narrows, her world broadens. This vulnerability seems to make her correspondence more revealing. She seems to be gaining deeper insights about herself and the people in her life. She writes to her daughter, “I know you think of me as your mother only, but please remember, inside, I am also just a girl.”
This period of change leads Sybil to seek forgiveness and to forgive those who have wronged her. She writes with increasing humility and grace. As the narrative unfolds, readers become acquainted with her family and associates, witnessing her steady personal growth. The novel ultimately celebrates the power of writing as a tool for self-discovery.
The Correspondent is an uplifting and perceptive book, offering readers a heartfelt celebration of emotional evolution and the enduring significance of the written word. Highly recommend. 5/5.
