The Book of Proper Names

About “The Book of Proper Names”

Lucette believes that an extraordinary life requires an extraordinary name. When her husband chooses ordinary names for their unborn child, she kills him to save the baby from an unremarkable fate. While in prison, she gives birth to a daughter and names her Plectrude, after an obscure saint, before taking her own life. Plectrude is raised by her indulgent aunt and shows great talent as a dancer. She is accepted into Paris's most prestigious ballet school, where she dedicates herself completely to her art. Her life is marked by both brilliance and tragedy, and she learns to survive through self-preservation, a lesson her mother would have understood.