This was my book group read for April/May 2026. We all read it and we all thought it was a really well written book and gave it a unanimous 8 out of 10. (I was going to say we all enjoyed it, but then the subject matter was really quite disturbing, so perhaps ‘enjoyed’ would not have been the right word.)
Cora (the ‘core’ character of the story) is married to Gordon, an abusive, controlling and really not very nice at all man who seems to come from a line of similar men, all (by family tradition) also called Gordon. When Cora’s second child is a boy, Gordon sends her off to register his birth with the name (or course) Gordon. By chance their daughter, Maia’s school is closed that day, so she accompanies her mother and, on the way, they discuss names. Maia said is she could choose she would name the baby Bear, because bears are strong and courageous but also soft and kind. Cora said she would name him Julian which means sky father so she could break the tradition of Gordon’s without angering her husband too much.
At this point the book splits into three possible lifetimes of the new son, depending on which name Cora actually registers.
The blurb for the book says what a difference a name can make on a life’s outcome, but I would argue that it is not so much the actual names but the degree to which Cora dares to defy her coercive husband that determines the path of the three potential lives.
Yes, the book has dark themes, but also a lot of joy and optimism and I thought it was a really fascinating look at how our inherent personality is altered to a degree by choices and events that happen but will ultimately show through.
Sarah Wray Writer 