The Catholic Book Club discussion

2. Ursula, Warda, Perpetua, Pietro. Why does the heroine’s name keep changing throughout the novel? How significant are her names?

The names are really important and define the progress of the main character. Fiorella has created a big character.

As an aside, Warda was the name I was given when I worked in the Middle East as it is the Arabic for Fiorella.

I did not Know that Fiorella and Warda were the same name 😲.

The anecdote it is stupid but i would like to Tell us 18 years ago i create a fantasy character called Klai la Spada to play a computer gama called Neverwinter Night inspired in the universe of D&D i played in Internet with another persons in internet. My character had another friends among them a rogue halfing called Silo and after some years later i lend to the gamer Turbiales the names of Turbiales and my character Silo i married with a female halfing called Fiorella in honor of the author :-) of this novel. It was amusement because Turbiales married with a human called Fruella and i spend the gameplay saying that he had commited bigamy ;-).

What struck me as interesting was that I don't think Warda chooses any of her names herself. Her parents named her Ursula, Fr. Antonin calls her Warda and Perpetua, and Pierre Dan calls her Pietro. I think it signifies how much of life is completely out of her control, which is one of the biggest struggles I noticed with the character throughout the novel--when she has to make choices herself, she's caught between being forced to make the decision and the guilt of what she ends up doing.

Ursula was a Saint martyrized by the Huesca meanwhile she traveled a pilgrimage to Rome in the 5th century. She was a britton Saint.

Fonch wrote: "Ursula was a Saint martyrized by the Huesca meanwhile she traveled a pilgrimage to Rome in the 5th century. She was a britton Saint."

You mean martyred by the Hunes.

Yes i wanted to say this 😅.

I suppose it's also interesting that at least three of her names are those of saints: Ursula, Perpetua, and Pietro (Peter).

I wasn't able to find anything about a St. Warda, but perhaps that's significant, too...that the one name that she goes by the most is one where there is no saint attached to it (yet). And that's the name identity where she seems to struggle the most.

Warda means flower, which is why Fr Antonin cwlls her that. The equivalent name Fiorella became a saint's name much later thanks to St Therese (the little flower)

How beautiful! Thank you for the information :)

I admit that i did not know 😅🤭.

Fiorella wrote: "Warda means flower, which is why Fr Antonin cwlls her that. The equivalent name Fiorella became a saint's name much later thanks to St Therese (the little flower)"

So Warda = Fiorella?

Done in by a false cognate again - I thought it was related to the English "ward." That's a fair description of her role with Fr. Antonin. I like "flower" better.

John wrote: "Fiorella wrote: "Warda means flower, which is why Fr Antonin cwlls her that. The equivalent name Fiorella became a saint's name much later thanks to St Therese (the little flower)"

So Warda = Fior..."

More or less, each name makes the main character progress or acquire a new skill. This happens, for example, in Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin