Welcome friend! For this third reading pause, I spent time with pages 89-134 of The Names. Let’s start with what happened in the book in these pages.
In the Book:
It’s 2001.
Bear’s life has a new love at the age of fourteen, at the cusp of fifteen. He is a kind boy who will make paper animals for strangers, a friendly person, able to fit in wherever he wants. His relationship with Maia has continued to stay strong. The time is approaching when their father will be out of prison and the siblings talk about that. Maia’s formative years were lived in fear and for all these years since her father was convicted of murder, she has been able to chalk up her reactions to be irrational. But once he is out, she is no longer sure how she will function. Bear thinks about his mother and wishes she had someone to protect her. Cora herself is trying dating but she is too shaken by the trust she put in Gordon and how it was exploited that she expects the nicest man to be hiding a secret.
Sílbhe describes Julian as not all there and it shows in his relationship with Maia too. Maia has made Ireland her home in this life and though she is a bright woman, she is content to work at a sandwich shop. She feels a pull to England and their mother that her brother does not understand. Julian has a passion for making jewelry and Sílbhe introduces him to Cian, an old flame of hers who she almost got together with before the kids came into her care. The four of them start to fall into a pattern of trusting each other and it was lovely to see Julian accept Cian as a permanent part of his everyday life.
Weekends away with Gordon’s friends are a play for Cora. He chooses what she wears, admonishes her for enjoying a pastry and then piles her plate with food. It’s all an act to make himself look like the best husband and her a little weird. Maia has followed her father in the medical profession. She wishes her passion was different from his because she has to hide who she is. She hasn’t come out to her parents yet. Her brother, Gordon, is exploring youth and following in the footsteps of his father in ways he doesn’t understand yet.
Reflection on the Story so Far:
I love how the story flows from one character to the other. New faces emerge and become an integral part of the narrative while giving space to the ones I have become close to in these few days.
I like the contrast of the three upbringings of the children. One where there is only their mother, one where neither of the birth parents exist in their lives and the last one where both exist in a glass house. There is hope, loneliness and tension, respectively.
Of all the days so far, this one felt like a lull. Things are moving. Years have passed. In Bear’s life, a change is coming. What will his father’s release mean for his family? For Julian, relationships are ever evolving. He knows he is not perfect and he is doing the best he can. At least he has a passion to turn to, an imagination, a craft. For Gordon, jokes at others’ expense have led to acceptance into the crowd he was made fun by. He is drinking. He is a bit in his own head. This does not seem to be headed in a good direction.
A Quote:
She was still reading to me—to us— right up until the end. Whatever I chose from the school library. She never judged, never said, Not this one, or, You shouldn’t be reading that. I can still remember it. That feeling of being read to, of being wrapped up in her voice, those words, whatever place the story had taken us to. It sounds stupid, but it was like a magic carpet.
The Names, pg ?
Thoughts:
I love reading about Maia and Cora. It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that a mother-daughter relationship takes the highlight of the day. I imagine the days we will snuggle and read books. Though Gordon did not let Cora read, I love that she took joy in Maia’s choices and enjoyed them with her. I hope to be equally non-judgemental of what my daughter is interested in. The time comes when she will be interested in a book rather than the shape of it. My step mom joked about the ways in which we devour books and I love that I can capture that memory from yesterday into today.
In My Life:
My intention of the day was to be brave in small ways. I shared on Instagram about my blogo binder and how it is a reminder of my writer identity. I had three nice conversations about parenthood with moms and I love seeing the care with which they pursue their craft while balancing motherhood. There is bravery there. For Serai, today was about the growth of her first two front teeth. For Maia, it was meeting someone for a drink. For Julian, it was learning from a teacher. For Gordon, it was going to a party.
Through the quote above, I imagined a future with my daughter. Later, after reading the pages for today, as I held her as she fell asleep, I thought about the numerous times I held her like this and how small she used to be just months ago. Now, I watch the baby monitor as she resettles into slumber.
The days are long and the years are short. A story with time jumps of seven years apart and three possible lifetimes truly shows how short the years can be. In a day, so much can happen. So much can change.
See you at the next pause after reading pages 135-186. 🙂
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