One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern
Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, Reference Assistant – Adult Services
Genre: Literary Fiction
Suggested Age: Adults
What is the book about?: In the opening pages of One Hundred Names, journalist Kitty Logan visits Constance, her friend and mentor, who is terminally ill. Constance is “solid, permanent and steady, stoic but oddly comforting.” And Kitty desperately needs that comforting, for she’s made a muck of her life. In her job as a television journalist, on the air before half a million viewers, Kitty accused a well-respected, married teacher with a young family of sexually abusing two students. Despite doing what she thought was good, in-depth research and reporting for the news program, Kitty fell for a story put forth by the two women – a totally false story. Now she is suspended from the show and is being sued for libel. At the hospital, Kitty asks Constance what story she always wanted to write but didn’t get a chance to. Constance mentions a fairly “recent idea,” instructing Kitty to retrieve a file simply called, “Names.” Kitty finds the file, but Constance dies before Kitty can ask her about the file, a list of 100 names that have no obvious connection. With her television job no longer an option, Kitty decides to follow up on the names, find the connection, and write about the names as a tribute to Constance.
My Review: I’ve read other books by Cecelia Ahern, usually finding the characters to be likeable and often funny. It’s hard to like Kitty in the beginning, however. Sure, she was conned, and her reputation is in ruins. But that’s all she can think about. Kitty initially has little sympathy for the victims of her mistake, the falsely accused teacher and his family, whose lives were truly ruined. Without giving the ending away, I think that in this book Ahern does what she excels at, developing the characters in her story to move beyond their personal tragedies and find redemption. It’s a hopeful, compassionate tale!
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!