Not a happy book, but so powerful and so well done! While the device of a "what if" storyline is not new, Knapp takes this concept and develops it so beautifully and creatively that it is very shocking to find that this is her debut novel. I am actually one that does often daydream about the What If's in life - and so I am definitely drawn to this type of storyline. Even so, it did take me a bit to sink into The Names, probably because of one character is so terribly awful but once I did, holy moly - this felt like a literary marvel. The main plot point of the book (a terribly abusive father) is such difficult content but if you can get through that, your empathy for this family will soar and the creative skill in which Knapp develops each storyline kept me deeply invested and turning the pages until the end. While the premise seems to be the different trajectories a name can place upon a life, the deeper storyline is the effects of a woman trapped in a very abusive marriage and the effects on her children and those around her. Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review. The Names will be available on 5/6/25.

This book was one of my most anticipated new releases of the year, and it did not disappoint. Although it deals with a heavy and depressing topic throughout the entire novel, the writing is so beautiful and captivating that I could not put it down. The alternating story lines was such a unique concept, and it is a thought-provoking experience for the reader. The author takes us on a 35-year journey full of tears, laughter, sorrow, and hope. It is devastating and uplifting all at once. Easily has earned a spot as one of the top books I will recommend to everyone this year.

This book was amazing. I absolutely tore through it and I loved the fact that it was 3 different timelines and it was so cohesive and amazing. This is definetley going to be one of my top reads of the year.

Cora and her nine year old daughter weather a stormy day to register the name of her newborn son. Her husband, a respected doctor in the community, and a monster at home, has demanded that his son be named Gordon after the men in his family. The story diverges into three possible pathways based on the name Cora gives her son.

When I first read the synopsis of The Names I loved the premise. It felt original and was open to so many possible themes. The obvious ones of family, intimate partner violence, and fate were there but so were love, heartbreak, determination, art, perseverance, identity and strength.

The alternating chapters based on the names and following Cora and her children kept the story moving. Illustrations at the beginning of each POV helped remind me of the previous storyline attached to that name. The story moved forward in segments of seven years giving the reader enough to follow the lives of the characters without it being bogged down. In this way I was able to see how the characters progressed over a time period of over 30 years.

Without giving anything away, I so appreciated the way intimate partner violence was handled. It happens behind closed doors, even family doesn’t always know the extent of the harms being committed, it can be physical and psychological, dangers are ever-present but highest when a person decides to leave the person harming them and immediately after and it is not uncommon for a woman (in most cases, it is women) to return to the relationship before ever leaving for good.

Thank you to @netgalley and @pameladormanbooks for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinions and to @florenceknapp for writing such an incredible debut novel. I will be seeking out more of your work in the future. The Names publishes May 6, 2025.

Also, check out the meanings of the characters’ names in the back of the book and the Instagram pages that inspired the artists within the story. These are featured in the acknowledgments.

I couldn't resist the premise of Florence Knapp's debut novel, The Names. Cora has a cruel, controlling husband who insists that their baby boy be named Gordon, after himself and generations of men in his family. But Cora has always loved the name Julian, and her 9-year-old daughter Maia wants to call her brother Bear. And when Cora impulsively decides to register their son as Bear, she knows that Maia will be delighted but that there will be consequences at home.The rest of the book reveals, in alternating chapters and in 7-year intervals for a total of 35 years, how the family would be different if the son were named each of the three names.

I have to say that reading about the domestic abuse is difficult and depressing. But, oh, the rest of the book is well worth it. In luminous, expressive prose, Knapp captures love, challenge, and redemption so beautifully that you can't help feeling and sharing the emotions of the characters. Sometimes it's a bit difficult to keep track of which of the three families you are reading about, but it's thrilling to see how some of the same supporting characters can be featured in more than one of the stories, with quite different results.

It's almost impossible to articulately capture what I loved about this book, but I recommend it highly to those who are not triggered by the hard subjects. Besides the author's writing style, I so appreciated the fact that the characters are deeply examined, including the supporting characters, the action takes place in both England and Ireland, and it is a story that will remain with me for a long time.

My sincere thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Viking/Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

What an amazing story with such a unique plot device. Hard to read but impossible to turn away. It is both challenging and emotionally resonant, with so many heart tugging characters. Bravo.

A quarter of the way in and one scene made me put the book down . I’ve had enough of the spousal abuse . Just can’t finish it . Three scenarios with naming the new baby three different names . An interesting premise , a different kind of read , I thought . I couldn’t help but want to know how the stories of this family would be different with different names . They were except for the spousal abuse that remains constant and is difficult to read about no matter how the stories varied . Done with it even though I thought the writing was good.

I received a copy of this book Penguin Group Viking through NetGalley.

If I could rate this book 10 stars, I would.

This book is absolutely brilliant and scintillating. I had to sit for several hours before I wrote my review, finding myself revising it several times (and probably will some more); I feel I’ve failed to fully capture the words that properly seize the phenomenal work of pure artistry and inventiveness this book possesses; I absolutely loved it.

Character development is spot-on, as the author unveils the many facets of each of the beloved players as well as the villains. I found myself to be utterly captivated by its writing style and unique storytelling, often revealing visceral emotions within in me.

It both Affected me and Effected me—and few stories do.

The premise/plot of the book is a compelling concept—how one’s name can affect and create one’s path in life.

It’s told over a 35-year timeframe, where a child is named differently in each of its interconnected vignettes—a “what if” said child had a different name? What would he be like? Who would he become?

It is a book that is heart-wrenching and alarming yet hopeful and jubilant, and it has the most vivid and pictorial imagery. I often found myself gasping out loud while the story unfolded, as well as often shedding tears. Debut author, Florence Knapp, really knocks it out of the park. I’m so thrilled she wrote it and thankful—even more—to Penguin Group/Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books for publishing it. It is available for all to purchase on May 6th, 2025.

Thank you to author, Florence Knapp, publisher Penguin Group/Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books, and Netgalley for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions and thoughts expressed here are wholly my own.

I did not know what to expect when starting this book, and I am so happy that I read it. The Names is an incredible story of one person and their life outcome depending on what their given birth name is.
I have recommended this book to my friends with one suggestion, take notes. If I put the book down for an extended period of time, I found my self getting a little confused remembering the storylines. I am considering rereading the book again with a notepad to jot down notes to remember each life story more clearly.
Overall great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for choosing me for an early read of this book.

This book employed an interesting trope where an abused wife named Cora is walking with her baby boy and 9-year-old daughter Maia to register the son's birth. She doesn't want to register the newborn's name as being Gordon, her husband's name, fearing the legacy of its abusive connotations. Her daughter would like to name him Bear and Cora would like to name him Julian. From this point the story shoots off into dueling chapters where these same people's lives played out differently depending on what Cora named the boy. I was struck off kilter each time the chapter changed into some other scenario, mostly because of the changing characters that became lovers and/or spouses to Cora's children as they grew older. The writing style was very good, but because of the horrific domestic abuse and the mental disruption caused by the varying storylines, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I had hoped.

Thank you to the publisher PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin / Pamela Dorman Books who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Trigger warning: DV

I knew this book would involve an abusive husband. It is a central theme that can be dark and terrifying at times. It can be heavy. Despite this, it is a creative story about the different paths our life can take if we make different choices. It is also hopeful and inspiring. This one is going to stick with me.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title

The Names can be described as a "what-if" novel, narrating three different possible family stories in parallel timelines, all diverging from the same momentous decision. Cora and Gordon have just welcomed their second child, a baby boy. Each of them has an individual preference for the baby's name, and their 9-year-old daughter Maia has yet another idea she likes. When Cora goes to register the baby's birth and complete his birth certificate, each possible choice will spark a different outcome, in a story that's narrated for the baby boy and his family at seven year intervals.

With this fascinating premise and a unique structure, the novel captivated me from the start, and my enthusiasm never waned. Its interesting well-developed characters, the perceptive descriptions of their motivations and reactions, and consistently excellent writing make it hard to believe this is a debut novel, and to hope it's only the first of many more for this talented author. Though it's still early in the month, I'm confident this one will be my favorite read this month.

Thank you to #NetGalley and publisher Pamela Dorman Books for providing a free ARC in exchange for an objective review.

Florence Knapp's debut novel, *The Names*, has truly shattered my reading experience! Ever since I finished it days ago, I’ve struggled to immerse myself in another book. The narrative unfolds through three parallel storylines, each more captivating than the last.

In the first arc, we meet Cora, a devoted mother of two, who finds herself registering her son's name. She bravely chooses to honor her 9-year-old daughter's suggestion, fully aware that her controlling husband will disapprove of her defiance in not opting for his name.

In the second storyline, Cora takes a different path, giving her son a name that, while not her daughter's choice, remains independent of her husband's wishes as well.

The third thread reveals her yielding to expectations, as she names her son after her husband, encapsulating the struggle between compliance and individuality.

Each of these decisions leads to profoundly different outcomes, spanning several decades, allowing readers to witness how the reverberations of that single choice—an act of defiance or surrender—unfolds, spotlighting the weight of names and the choices we make.

This book resonated with me deeply and deserves a solid five stars. It was an undeniably propulsive read. There are important content warnings for domestic violence and grief, themes that linger long after the last page is turned. I know I will carry this story with me for a long time.

A heartfelt thank you to Pamela Dorman Books and Netgalley for providing this debut ARC.

In THE NAMES, Florence Knapp executes beautifully on a totally unique concept. Cora has three potential names in mind when it comes time to name her newborn baby. What she decides will change her and her family's lives forever — as we get to see play out on all three timelines, following along and checking in every seven years to see the consequences of naming the child Gordon like his father, Bear like his sister Maia suggests, or Julian as Cora has been contemplating.

The reverberations from this decision resonate in unexpected ways, exploring familial trauma and domestic abuse through excellent writing that highlights beauty and tragedy in equal measure. At times I had trouble keeping track of which events and characters belonged to which timeline, but overall this is a beautiful book that will appeal to a broad audience.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking Books/Pamela Dorman Books for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. The Names is an exploration of the concept that our names can have a defining impact on our lives. The story starts when our main character, Cora, goes to register her sons birth and what follows are three alternating versions of Cora, her son’s, and the rest of her family’s life— each different and affected by the choice of her son’s first name.

This book was absolutely beautiful and drew me in from the first chapter! I did not expect this book to be as emotional as it was but, right from the first few chapters, my heart was bleeding for these characters. I had to keep reading, in the hopes that things would turn around for them and to see how each of the alternate storylines would turn out. The author handles sensitive topics like domestic abuse and trauma with a delicate hand and really does justice to her characters.

I would absolutely recommend checking trigger warnings before reading this book, as the subject matters discussed are quite heavy and are upsetting to read. However, with that said, it is a very compelling read and an important one I think. This was such a unique premise and despite the shifting alternate storylines, I wad eager to return to each one and to see where the time jumps landed the reader.

Overall, this is a wonderful book and I know it will land for many readers once it’s available. I would definitely recommend it to contemporary fiction readers and look forward to seeing what the book world thinks when this is published!

I'm grateful for the complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Many thanks to the publisher, Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and the author, Florence Knapp, for the privilege to read this advanced copy. The honest opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

First and foremost, I loved this book. It is like no other book that I have read. I could not wait to get back to this book when life interrupted reading it. I seldom rate a book 5 stars, but this one definitely deserves it.

The setting is in the UK. Assigning the name of a new baby at the registrar starts the story. Whether naming the baby a name his young sister likes (Bear), a name the mother likes (Julian) or the generational familial name all baby boys receive (Gordon) provides the three story threads of the book. Each "child" thread provides a different perspective to familial relationships. At the core of the book is life with domestic abuse, the messiness of life with all who experience or witness abuse.

The book covers domestic abuse and homosexuality. If these topics make you uncomfortable, read this book. You will gain a better understanding in an inspiring way. One key thing you'll learn is that domestic violence can be deceptive.

This is a book I recommend to anyone. It's just a good book that you won't forget. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it!

Beautiful writing unputdownable a story of names of how your name can form your destiny.From the first chapter I was drawn in and knew this was a special read.Will be recommending this special read.#netgalley #viking penguin

This is a beautifully written, intriguing book. I love the parallel lives, road-not-taken kind of narrative, and this was expertly done. The alternating chapters describe in seven year increments the lives of Cora, her daughter, Maia, and her son, with different results depending on whether she had named her son Gordon, after her abusive husband and as he demanded; Julian, as she wanted; or Bear, as young Maia preferred. The domestic violence is difficult to read, and each of the three narratives has many tragic elements. After the second seven-year jump, I decided I would rather read each named narrative to its completion--first Bear, then Julian, then Gordon--rather than reading chronologically. I thought it worked very well this way, but I also think the author made a good, and perhaps the better, decision to present it as she did. If I read it again, as I very well might, I'll read it as written. Many thanks to Penguin Group/Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book. I'll definitely be strongly recommending it and I look forward to discussing it with other readers.

I thought the premise was very clever - does your first name define you in any way? How would your life be different if you were called something else? Cora has three potential names for her baby. The first is Gordon, which is her abusive husband's name and the name that his family tradition dictates. Julian is the name Cora prefers. Nine-year-old big sister Maia wants the baby's name to be Bear. The reader is shown, in seven-year increments, the outcome of this baby's life, theoretically based on which name Cora put down on the birth registration.

While I was intrigued by the idea, the theory that the name changed the baby's fate didn't hold up for me. Clearly, how Cora's choice of name made her feel dictated how she acted towards both her husband and the baby. The child could have been called anything; it was the mother's choices and attitudes that dictated the course of that baby's life. Was that the point, and I missed it, being too fixated on the name?

Overall, I enjoyed the book - it was creative and engaged my curiosity. It's not a light-hearted read, but it's an important examination into a woman's choices in an abusive situation and how those may affect her children.

Today is the day Cora must fill out the paperwork at the birth registrars office. She goes into town with little Maia by her side and baby boy in his pram. Silently grieving, she cannot imagine naming this beautiful child Gordon after his father and father’s father. The name denotes a history of arrogant, ruthless men who control her life. As a physician, everyone imagines her husband Gordon is a dream, a catch. Handsome, kind to his patients, intelligent and able to provide all the luxuries life has to offer. Little do they realize what her life is behind the closed doors of their home, virtually a prison. Cora imagines what life would be like to name the baby Julian, while 8 year old Maia dreams of Bear. Cora also envisions the terrifying consequences of going against her husband’s wishes. As the reader delves into the parallel worlds the boy’s given name dictates his future self and in turn simultaneously affects completely different lives for both Maia and Cora. Although the description of domestic abuse is extremely difficult to digest, this debut novel is both gorgeously written and heartbreaking. The themes of generational trauma, personal identity and motherhood make this layered story a thought provoking and necessary read.