The Names, by Florence Knapp

Cora is married to a violent and controlling man, Gordon, who presents to the world as a charming and lovable GP. They have a 9-year-old daughter, Maia, who is already showing signs of damage from this toxic relationship. Gordon has instructed Cora to register the birth of their new son with his name and that of his father before him. But Cora wants to break that tradition and call her son Julian, while Maia would like him to be called Bear. What follows is three versions of the same story with quite different outcomes that hinge on the naming decision. They trace the fate of the family every seven years – Sliding Doors meets 7-Up. The children take very different paths in each story, but suffer consequences of domestic violence in all of them. The dark subject matter is written with sensitivity and intelligence, capturing the voices of Cora, Maia and the three boys and examining the impact on their family and those around them with clarity and empathy. A film version would be interesting.