Florence Knapp burst onto the literary scene last year with one of the most talked-about debuts of the year. The Names – a novel that seemed to be everywhere you looked – is a powerful, inventive story that follows one family across three possible versions of their lives, all shaped by a single decision, reports BritPanorama.
At its heart is a deeply affecting exploration of sibling relationships; a dynamic Knapp finds endlessly fascinating. Here, she shares her five favourite novels that every brother or sister should read.
Sorrow and bliss by Meg Mason
“I have so much love for Sorrow and Bliss. It’s messy and heartbreaking, showing a woman, her marriage, and her family in various stages of unravelling. Yet the story finds its light in the relationship between siblings. Martha and Ingrid’s conversations are a joy, characterised by a shared shorthand and frankness. (When Martha asks if her sister’s ointment for “problem areas” might work on her own personality, Ingrid replies that it might, “but it’s not going to make it go away completely.”)
“Perhaps it’s this humour that allows their mutual adoration to exist in a way that doesn’t cloy. And while Martha’s partner describes their bond as impenetrable, the reader is never kept out in the cold. Delicious.”
W&N, £9.99
I capture the castle by Dodie Smith
“My own sister gave me a copy of this book when I was in my early twenties and from that iconic opening line, ‘I write this sitting in the kitchen sink,’ I adored it. Written nearly three-quarters of a century earlier than Sorrow & Bliss, to me it feels like its elder sibling, in that it features a similarly eccentric family plagued, at times, by madness, and a relationship between sisters as its beating heart.
“It’s narrated by the sink-dwelling youngest, Cassandra, who idolises Rose, while being highly attuned to her flaws. And again, I think it’s this sandpapery mix of love and honesty that makes the sibling relationship so much fun to read about. Both novels have especially characterful heroines, and I wonder if writing through the lens of comparison – their similarities, differences, noticing how they bounce off one another, as well as the environment they grow up in – allows the author to build these especially rich, nuanced characters.”
Vintage Classics, £7.99
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
“I love all Ann Patchett’s books, and this one is memorable for its portrayal of the bond between brother and sister, and the role a childhood home continues to play in their adult lives. As with the previous two novels, Maeve and Danny’s alliance forms, in part, as insulation from the adults they have to endure.
“In this case, an absent mother and a difficult stepmother, who claims the family home when their father dies. When I think of these two, it’s always sitting in the car outside the Dutch House, smoking. There seemed to be a lot of that.”
Bloomsbury, £9.99
To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee
“Several summers ago, I stayed in a damp chapel about a mile inland from sea. The days were lovely, but I remember the highlight being the moment when I could lie on the sofa and get back to this novel.
“Bonded by the loss of their mother, Jem is four years older than his sister, Scout, and takes on a parental role around her. Thinking about this, I’m wondering, where are all the mothers in these novels? Their absence wasn’t an intentional sub-theme, but perhaps it allows the sibling relationship to take centre stage.”
Penguin, £9.99
Wonder by RJ Palacio
“I came to this many years ago through my children and always feel it shouldn’t be discounted by adults. We meet August Pullman, aged 10, as he contemplates joining mainstream school, having previously been homeschooled due to his facial difference. Brim-full of kindness, the novel is brilliant on how each sibling must cede or accept more of the focus than they’d like.
“Without resentment, elder sister, Via, explains, ‘August is the Sun. Me and Mom and Dad are planets orbiting the Sun.’ It’s a watershed year for them all as Auggie becomes increasingly independent and the imbalance begins to redress. I sobbed reading this novel – you may need a plentiful supply of tissues.”
Corgi, £7.99
The Names by Florence Knapp is published in paperback by Phoenix, £9.99
