If you haven’t already figured it out, Cecelia Ahern is a favourite author of mine. I love how she captures a sense of magic in her book. Don’t get me wrong, her books aren’t all fantasies in any way, but they are so beautiful it feels magical! One Hundred Names is like that too, with its own little magic.
This is a coming of age story of a young female journalist. Kitty Logan has just had her career fall apart because of a careless mistake that she committed. She accuses a high-school teacher of abusing his students, which ultimately proves to be false. Ostracized from her work circle, trolled by the general public and dumped by her current boyfriend, Kitty is understandably shaken. Another blow comes when her long-term mentor and friend Constance dies of cancer.
Kitty visits Constance before her death and randomly asks her — “What is the one story you always wanted to write?” Constance directs Kitty to a folder in her home, containing the answer to that question, and that becomes Constance’s dying wish to Kitty — to complete the story she herself couldn’t write. However, Kitty is perplexed when she only finds a piece of paper, listing out one hundred random people, no explanations and no notes whatsoever.
With the magazine she works for threatening to let her go, Kitty has one chance to redeem herself by penning Constance’s story herself, and she has just over two weeks to do it. She sets out to find out more about the hundred people in the list, but the work is hard and time is not on her side. Desperate for a break, she happens upon a clue which leads her to a few of the people. Meeting them and the story that unfolds thereafter is what makes for a great read.
On the surface, no one seems to be connected to each other. One woman is a recluse butterfly conservator, while the other, Birdie, is an old lady of 85. Mary Rose spends her life taking care of her ailing mother, while Archie is seeking redemption and claims to hear people’s prayers. Jadrek is desperate for a Guinness Record which he hopes will help his family financially, while Eva is a personal shopper who seems to understand peoples wishes better than themselves. No one has ever met or even seen the other people in the list so Kitty is at a loss as to what connects them.
With her job on the line, Kitty makes a decision to pursue this story to its end, whatever it may be. During the course of multiple meetings, Kitty begins to genuinely like these people that randomly came into her life. She gets invested in their stories, past and future. Inspired to help the totally adorable Birdie to achieve her dream, Kitty takes a road trip with her new-found group and it is then that Kitty finally gets what Constance was trying to say. What is it, you wonder? Well, that is why you need to read the book! ;)
We meet so many people every day of our lives, but have we ever stopped to wonder what their story is? Because one thing is certain, it is the most ordinary of people that lead the most extraordinary lives. One Hundred Names is a look into such beautiful stories, hidden within whispers, jokes, wishes and prayers of some ordinary people, just like you or me. You may find the book a little disconnected at first. You may think Kitty to be self absorbed, but stick around for a while. She makes mistakes, but she also tries to make them right.
It is human nature to create stories. Sometimes, we forget that the most exciting story is the one we’re living. This moment, right now, is something beautiful. It is magical and Ahern reminds me of that. I hope she reminds you as well!
