The Names is a lovely and devastating book in the mold of Jo Walton's My Other Children (and countless other books and films such as Sliding Doors), in which a decision on the part of one character splits a single narrative into multiple ones. Cora, a young mother, is tasked by her violently abusive husband with registering the name of their baby boy. In one instance, she lets her daughter name him: he is called Bear. In the second, she gives him the name Julian, and in the third, in accordance with her husband's demand, she names him Gordon. She, her daughter, and the baby return home, and when she tells her husband what she's done, her story breaks into three paths, all with some similarities and some differences. The various lives of Cora and her children are each about the legacies of domestic violence, about finding one's own self, about manipulation and responsibility, about trust and love, and about grief. Knapp is excellent at getting into the character's thoughts in a way that feels entirely natural and comfortable. The narratives have unexpected twists and turns, making the entire novel a journey of discovery. I will caution readers who have experienced violence that this may be a difficult read or be triggering, but it's also a book I recommend very highly.

Names have always been of importance to me. So coming across this book, that gives various points of view due to the chosen name, it was a must read. And I was not disappointed! Reading this story or really three stories in one, I felt the hatred, the fear, the anxiety, the concern, the unbelievable occurrences and the moments realizations were realized by those involved. This book is one that anyone from book clubs to Independant readers will be in deep discussion and thought with.

This was such a well crafted masterpiece!

Three stories are told: what happens as a result of a name chosen for a baby boy? We follow the boy, along with his orbit of family, through 30 years, dropping in on them every 7 years. And you grow to love each character in each timeline as separate people, but also as the same people, just with different circumstances? It's a wonderful magic trick that Knapp has pulled off.

Trigger warning: one of the book's main themes is the consequences of domestic abuse

I predict this will be a bestseller! Such a unique premise, and I enjoyed the use of third person omniscient narration to really get more out of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Viking, and Pamela Dorman Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

For anyone who has thought ‘what if’, it’s rare that the what if centers around a name. In The Names, however, that becomes the concept. For Cora, in a marriage with Gordon that sees no ends to her shrinking into herself in every way, she and her daughter Maia, as well as the character of her baby boy, are explored in three different timelines - each with her son named differently, and each timeline resonates in that they brought heartbreak and happiness, some more immediately than others. Nothing was ever perfect, which leant unexpected realism but made the book even more thought provoking.

The Names will tear you up but it’s also incredibly touching and hopeful. There is a lot happening in each timeline, but in each readers will keep going back to the opening chapters and wondering how one choice might cause all these ripples, and if that could create so much bearing in our own day to day. A must read for those that love to reflect in an emotional and well done story.

This novel is a quirky and quite unique telling of a story. Do you believe that a given name can determine your future? I'm not sure that I do but Florence Knapp does a good job of convincing you that it could be so. It begins with Cora, mother to 9-year-old Maia and a newborn boy. She is married to Gordon, a doctor who is abusive. I was so disturbed at the cruelty that I almost stopped reading, but the writing kept me turning pages.

What's quirky is the three distinct stories that are affected by whether Cora names the boy Gordon, Julian or Bear. Bear is what Maia chooses as her brother's name. The split in narrative begins here. Each passage of time spins off from what happens when the birth registry names the boy.

Perhaps if the timelines were easier to follow, this debut novel could have earned 4 1/2 stars because it is beautifully and emotionally written. Trust me, you will dislike Gordon senior in every one of them, except maybe.....? Sited in England and Ireland, only one fact about one character remains true throughout the three alternate futures. Read this book and find out while you have a fascinating immersion in a "novel" story.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read an early copy

The Names has such an interesting concept and the description instantly made me want to pick up this title and read it. The idea that a name can change the entire course of a life made for a story that I couldn't put down. I do think the story could have been fleshed out a bit more in some areas so I'll be rating this 4/5 stars but I enjoyed this book overall and I will be recommending it! Thank you Net Galley and the publishers.

Well.... This is an emotional, sad story that I liked although I will admit, it took me time to really want to keep reading.
There are three stories occurring within one person over different times.
Confusing? I felt it was.
Then at some point I understood the journey of the names a young man had been given and how he was affected by the name.
It is definitely an interesting point to consider when naming a child.

I enjoyed the writing and could feel the emotions of the character as they were very well developed.

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Penguin Group Viking Penguin for this ARC and allowing me to provide my own review.

The premise of this drama was very intriguing to me. After receiving a widget from the publisher and reading all of the great reviews, I decided to give it a chance. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. There are three different stories to follow based off the different names that Cora could have given to her son: Bear, Julian and Gordon. These stories, divided by 7-year increments, then span out over a 35-year time period. Confusing, right?! It was very hard to remember the details of each child and I kept getting them mixed up with a different one. Also, the author kept switching POVs within each chapter with no transition. This drove me bonkers! I did enjoy the first and final chapters of the three boys, but everything else in between was mostly boring to me. It was difficult to read about the domestic violence and abuse that Cora endured. It both angered and saddened me in equal measure. The epilogue was satisfying and well deserved though. Having said all of that, I do appreciate the author's writing for being both poignant and profound at times. It just didn't resonate with me throughout the majority of the book. I would still recommend this novel to others. Opinions differ, and you may love it more than I did.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin for granting me a digital ARC widget via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

I received an e-ARC of THE NAMES by Florence Knapp through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and rebellious 2025!

Wow! What a story that made me think all about the life we have to live and what we choose to do with it. I also am fascinated by people's names and naming babies, so this was a treat to read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. The writing is brilliant.

What a gem of a book! Using the structure of "sliding doors" as a leaping off point, Knapp tells the story of a family torn apart by a stern and abusive patriarch, his long-suffering wife, and their two children in such exquisitively-written prose that it often tore my heart, while providing a narrative I couldn't stop reading. The simple act of registering her son's name in the registry becomes a decision reverberating through the decades as we see the resulting paths each character takes. This is one that will stay with you a long time and I hope it gets all the accolades it deserves.

I was enthralled by this book!
Poignant, affecting storytelling and voices.
Completely captivating.
Such a unique premise, masterfully handled.
Impressive debut--fascinated to learn of the author's presence up till now.

With great thanks to NetGalley and Viking/Pamela Dorman Books for this e-ARC.

Absolutely loved this book. A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC. I was already hearing some buzz about this book so was very excited to get the ARC. This is a thought-provoking book that explores .. what’s in a name…

The Names by Florence Knapp completely captivated me. It’s an exploration of how a name can shape a person’s life in ways I’d never really thought about before. It really made me reflect on the deep impact a name can have—not just on the person who carries it, but on everyone they encounter. I found myself completely absorbed in the book, with moments that were both hopeful and heartbreaking. The narrative spans three decades, and that long timeline allowed me to really connect with the characters, wondering where their journeys would take them. By the end, I was left reflecting on my own life and how different things might be if I had a different name. The Names is a beautifully written book that I know will stay with me for a long time.

Naturally, we want to read this book. It has to do with names which identifies each and every one of us.

In this story, the mother was considering three names for her newborn. There was Gordon after his father and grandfather, Julian which could mean sky father or Bear symbolizing cuddly or strong. The story had three versions of the boy’s life (Gordon, Julian, Bear) from birth to his mid 30s. Readers were given an update every seven years from 1987 to 2022 to analyze the influence of the name.

The father, Gordon, was a well-respected surgeon. Sadly, however, he physically abused the boy’s mother, Cora, shortly after he was born. That’s where it began and when readers were introduced to a taste of the ugly. For me, there was a hatred of this man at the start who was mistreating his wife – a woman who was kind, caring and beautiful.

It was cleverly written and evident that the author spent a considerable time creating this complex plot with all the pieces in place. It had a unique spin on the three variations with lots of issues to consider. It’s the type of book you’d want to talk about afterwards as everyone has opinions about names. There is a list of characters at the end with official meanings.

My thanks to Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 6, 2025.

This is an odd but enjoyable book once I understood there were 2 "timelines" based on names given to a young child. Gordon and Cora have a baby boy and without Cora's knowledge, Gordon names him after himself. Then unbeknownst to Gordon, Cora names him Bear. And we're off...on an adventure that changes with each name. So keep track but enjoy the dual timelines as it's fascinating to realize that Shakespeare was right when he questioned, "What's in a name?" Crazy but mind-bending!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Best book of the year. This story is about how a name can change the trajectory of a person’s life, but the underlying theme here is about how a woman handles brutal domestic abuse from her husband and the long term impacts it has on her kids. Using three different potential names, each of which carries consequences linked to the abuse, Florence Knapp sets in motion her own butterfly effect for these characters. While each story differs in significant ways, a ray of hope is left with all of them. A brilliant story (or stories) that kept me reading until I finished, but still wishing for more. An easy 5 star rating.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

Nomen est omen. What fascinating premise for a novel, and one I can't believe I haven't come across before!

As someone who recently named her first child (and, like Cora, the mother in The Names, was considering three very different options), I found this concept utterly engrossing. The domestic violence was heartbreaking - and handled thoughtfully and convincingly - and I totally bought Gordon's reaction to each of the names; it was easy to see how each of Cora's choices, plus his reactions, sent them and their two children down distinct paths. This is my first time reading Florence Knapp - I think it's her fiction debut! - and I found her to be a strong storyteller and vivid writer.

That said, the last third was a bit disappointing for me for two reasons (will try to keep things vague for spoiler reasons): one is that I didn't understand why a main character would prioritize not alarming his child over seeking help for the injury that would kill him. (If Knapp was determined that his story should end in 2020, it easily could have been from COVID, which had already been incorporated into the plot.) I also don't love that we ended on the father's perspective - I would have preferred not to hear from him at all, and I think it tainted the book a bit for me.

Overall, though, I was curious and eager to read this book based on the blurb, and I couldn't put it down once I started. I think readers who gravitate towards family-focused and sliding-door stories, like The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas, will love this. I look forward to recommending it and discussing it with readers - I expect this to be a very popular book.

I really wanted to like this story, but I was too confused with the different storylines intertwined. I couldn’t remember what was happening. I had to put it down before I finished.