Welcome friend! For this fifth reading pause, I spent time with pages 187-248 of The Names. Let’s start with what happened in the book in these pages.
In the Book:
It’s 2015. November. Paris attacks.
Bear almost loses Lily and decides to settle down. Life seems good for everyone. He has been in touch with Cian after his grandmother’s passing and found a father figure in him.
Julian too is settling down with Orla. He liked her and had to confront his assumptions that because his father is a murderer, he could hurt people too. Orla gave him time and now they are embarking on a new chapter. He isn’t sure about selling his jewellery in England. That country holds too much pain for him. Cora had moved there and found no support in her time of need. He wants nothing to do with the place that destroyed his family. Maia used to think differently and has not been able to shed her Englishness. She has made a career but her personal life is still empty. The legalization of same sex marriage gives her hope.
Cora has left many times and has returned home again and again. Her husband continues to hold her reins tightly. Maia still carries guilt for not helping her mother. She hides her identity from her coworkers. Gordon has moved back with his parents after a car accident and a mental breakdown. He is trying to give up alcohol and is realizing how much he has been shaped by his father and how distanced he has been from his family. He learns that Lily is now a lawyer and sees that she has shaped something good out of the rumours he spread.
Reflection on the Story so Far:
I feel another lull in these chapters. I’m happy for Bear and Julian, for the footing they have found in the world, the conviction with which they move forward, towards love and belonging.
Maia seems happiest in Bear’s timeline. She is still partly aimless in Julian’s and living under her father’s shadow in Gordon’s. She needs another 7 years in these timelines.
Cora’s life with Gordon brings me much sadness. How isolated she is. How many times she has left and yet she returns. How nice Gordon can be until a switch flips and he expects her to go back to not asking questions and doing what she used to. He alludes to what her future would be, walking her around an Alzheimer’s ward. When the kids were young, he would threaten to take them away from her. He has succeeded. She has no means to talk to Maia, whose guilt is palpable in their relationship. She doesn’t know where to start with her son whom her husband used against her for a long time and that has deeply damaged their relationship.
I want to mention the writing today. The opening to Bear’s timeline was very well done. To see what was happening for him in Egypt while Lily was in Paris was telling of something bad to come. One sentence from each place and person created a suspense towards impending doom. I’m glad it didn’t end worse.
A Quote:
You are not responsible for the goings-on of the entire world. Yes, people’s lives bump and collide and we send one another spinning off in different directions. But that’s life. It’s not unique to you. We each make our own choices.
The Names, pg ?
Thoughts:
The Names explores the repercussions of Cora’s one decision – what to name her son. The three timelines show the inevitability of some things and the flexibility of many others. Cora carries guilt for Vihaan’s murder. It is what gave her freedom from her husband. It was his choice.
We all make small choices throughout the day, bigger ones throughout our lives. We have to accept the choices others make and what we made in the past to move forward. We want to be the centre of the world but we are not. We are insignificant and there is freedom in that.
In My Life:
I returned to Your Self-Confidant Baby by Magda Gerber today. In Bear’s timelines, Cora had reflected on her parenting style compared to Mehri’s and as I read my non-fiction book, I was reminded of my worry when I read parenting books — in trying to use it, would I have to change everything? It’s fear talking. I like how accepting Cora was of Mehri’s style. She accepts that they are different and can admire her friend rather than imitate or strive to be her.
Something that Magda mentioned is that babies want to please their parents. This made me think of Gordon and how his father used to manipulate him when he was little to spy on his mother and get her in trouble. Parents have such a big influence on their children. Magda’s message is that babies are smart. They have a sense of how their caregiver is feeling, whether they are stressed or relaxed. I think this shows through in Maia and Gordon. Almost 30 years have passed since that name registration day and yet it lingers in all of them. It’s also interesting how one can bring together the family without revealing the full truth to each member.
Tomorrow is the last set of chapters. This day by day reading and reflection is coming to an end. I hope it’s a stellar ending that allows for a deep discussion. I hope you will return with me. 🙂
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