From the first I was drawn in by Fedler's writing style. Faith has a strong voice in this novel and she shares her life with you. I quickly came to care about her - perhaps indentifying with the fact that it is something she so desperately needs. Tragic losses have shaped Faith to become a woman who takes on the pain of everyone, the responsibility for the loss of her brother, Joshua's early death, Carol's mental instability and the lives of the women who seek her help when they have been raped, battered and murdered by the ones who are supposed to love them. The personal cost of these accumulating tradegies are thoughtfully examined. Faith is silently suffering, fearful and unwilling to risk finding a space for herself and her own needs until she has no choice but to find the things she has lost. Her character is complex but sympathetic and vividly drawn.Fedler draws on her own career experience with domestic violence, as she explains at the end of book, her characters honor women, men and children who have tragically lost their lives due to (mainly) family violence.Things without a name is confronting, yet tender and unbearably sad with moments of joy. Honest and enriching, a wonderful novel. ( )

'Faith, a legal counsellor in a women's crisis centre, deals with damaged and fragile lives on a daily basis. However she is in crisis within her own life and then a chance meeting sets her on the path to finding some happiness out of all this despair that surrounds her.

Domestic violence is the central theme and the authors personal experience is evident here, giving insight into the difficulties faced by victims and their advocates which I found interesting. The listing of those who have lost their lives at the conclusion of the novel makes the story all the more poignant.

However with all seriousness aside I found reading this novel a real pleasure where I smiled, laughed and shed a few tears. All the characters are wonderfully drawn and the author's insight into the complexity of families with all their frailties and hidden secrets was wonderful. I will be searching for more from this author, recommended. ( )