The Names hasn’t been released yet but I have already seen a lot of hype for this one as well get close to its release date. It is ABSOLUTELY worth the hype- do not sleep on this one!

From the start, this book was so interesting. It was very unique and I loved how it felt like 3 books within a book. It really makes you think about how little choices can change someone’s entire life. Honestly all of the 3 stories were done so well that I had different favorites as they went along and ended up so satisfied with all of them.

The endings for each story were all beautiful and I teared up multiple times. Do yourself a favor and grab this book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Cora lives in fear of her abusive husband. Shortly after the birth of their son, she is tasked with walking over to the registrar and registering the birth of the baby. On the way, she and her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, discuss his name. Her husband has demanded that the baby be named after him, a long-standing tradition within his family. Maia doesn't understand why the baby must have the same name as their father, and when asked,d suggest Bear. Cora wants to name him Julian. What follows is a series of three chapters, every seven years, about what would happen if she had chosen each name.

There were stark differences between Bear, Julian, and Gordon, with each having a wildly different personality and interests. The events are entirely different based on the name of the young man. It really makes the reader examine what is in a name and how a name can change the course of one's life.

I started reading this book on a Saturday morning and finished it by that night. I talked to everyone I came in contact with about it, because it really made me think. The writing is exquisite. Florence Knapp is now an author I am going to have to follow.

Thank you to Net Galley, Penguin Group Viking Penguin, and Pamela Dorman Books.

WOW!! Actually 5 WOWS!! This book is so beautifully written. It will make you sad, happy, teary, heartsick and did I say happy. Being a debut novel I am so impressed with how the author handled the subject matter with so much depth and sensitivity. The story revolves around Cora, mom, Gordon, dad (not a nice guy) and their two children, Maia and now here is where it gets interesting and the boy child; Bear, Julian & Gordon. After her son is born Cora goes to the registrar's office to register his name. Her abusive husband wants him named after him, Gordon. Cora does not want that because she does not want her son to become her husband. The author takes us on a journey of what life would be like with each name. It spans 35 years with chapters of Bear, Julian & Gordon in increments of every seven years. You want Cora to develop a back bone and just leave her husband but she wants to protect her children so she stays. You see how each name takes a different journey in life. Just a wonderful book. I can not recommend it enough. It is definitely the best book I have read this year. It is being released on May 6, 2025 and I suggest you grab it and devour it. You will not be disappointed.
Thanks to #netgalley, #pameladormanbooks and @florenceknapp_ for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

It’s been quite a while since I read a book in just one day. I was determined to follow each of the separate stories and keep details clearly in my mind to find out where it all ended up. My conclusion is this author is extremely talented and I’m looking forward to reading anything else she writes.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on April 25th, 2025. Links provided.

The Names presents a speculative exploration of how a single moment of choice can reverberate through time, shaping the lives of one woman and her children. On one fateful day, Cora must name her newborn son, an act that becomes a metaphorical crossroads. Her decision launches three diverging timelines, each spanning several decades and structured around the name she gives the child: one that aligns with her abusive husband’s wishes (Gordon), one of her own choosing (Julian), and one inspired by her daughter (Bear). Through this inventive narrative framework, the novel examines the long-lasting consequences of domestic abuse, the complexity of maternal sacrifice, and the subtle interplay between identity and fate. As the story revisits the characters every seven years, readers witness how relationships, choices, and trauma evolve in parallel yet distinct realities.

Honestly, I thought the idea behind the book was really cool, but it didn’t totally land for me. I kept getting pulled out of the story because the constant back-and-forth between the three different timelines was just confusing and I occasionally found myself unsure which timeline I was currently reading. Every time I started to get into one version of the story, it would switch, and I’d have to reorient myself all over again. Sadly, this made it harder for me to really feel connected to any of the timelines and often left me feeling a little bored. I also went in expecting a deeper dive into how a name might affect someone’s life, but it ended up being way more about Cora’s abusive relationship and how that shaped her kids’ futures. That’s an important topic, no doubt, but the title and premise kind of felt like a bait and switch. The writing itself was really good in parts—some of the emotional moments hit hard—but overall, I found the structure a bit exhausting. I’m glad I read it, but it just didn’t connect with me the way I hoped it would.

Thank you to Penguin Group Viking Penguin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of The Names in return for my honest review.

What a debut! Loved this so much- the different timelines and stories were so heartbreaking. Trigger warning for domestic violence but you're going to want to get your hands on this one.

Cora will never know what might have happened if she had chosen to give her son another name, but in Florence Knapp’s affecting novel, The Names, we get to see the results of her visit to the local registrar to give her newborn his name. This novel follows three possible, plausible futures. I was fascinated by each one. Cora’s choice of name is just a catalyst for what follows; what happens is the result of a lot of different people’s choices and their tangle of consequences.

Cora has three different names in mind for her son when she visits the registrar. Her husband, the controlling and violent Gordon, wants the boy named after himself. Cora has been musing on the name Julian. Cora’s daughter, Maia, suggests Bear when asked for her thoughts. This name also appeals to Cora. We revisit the moment when Cora reveals what she wrote down on the form three times, where the family’s story turns into three possibilities.

I feel like I can’t say too much about what happens in The Names because almost anything I reveal could be a spoiler. Rather than give away what happens to Cora and her children, I’ll instead say that I was very interested in the variety of lives these characters live after Cora reveals what she named her son. Maia and Bear/Julian/Gordon become very different people from their other potential selves, being children when these stories diverge from each other. How much time they spend with their father has a lot of impact on how free they feel later in life to pursue their passions and relationships. Cora retains her desire to stay close to her children in all of her futures. She can be uncomfortably self-sacrificing but, given the malice and violence of her husband, I can’t really blame her.

It’s impossible to say if there’s a “best” future because they all contain periods of happiness and tragedy. It’s also impossible not to analyse the subsequent decisions made by Cora, Gordon, and her children. Should Cora stay or should she flee? Is it even possible to successfully run away from a monster like Gordon? Would it be better to live in England or Ireland? Which of the people Maia and Bear/Julian/Gordon date is the best partner for them? Who are the children meant to grow up into? And, of course, what about the choices that led Cora and Gordon to marry in the first place? The Names offers so many opportunities to second-guess everything that, for me, it brilliantly succeeded in showing me the futility of wasting time wondering about what-might-have-been at the cost of making the present absolutely miserable. This book would be an excellent choice for a book group to dive into.

This book is challenging for me to review. First, it’s structured around two distinct stories and three timelines. The two stories revolve around extreme spouse abuse, while the third revolves around birth names. It’s the names that drive the narrative.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have been named something else? I’m Linda, and I can honestly say that I might have preferred it, along with all the other names like Debbie, Barbara, Kathie, and Karen (oh, the poor Karens).

Cora, the abused spouse, and MFC has to register her new son’s name, accompanied by her first daughter, at the British registry office. Her physician husband, Gordon, has made it abundantly clear that the baby will be named after him, Gordon. However, the problem is that he’s so awful, so abusive, so unkind, and sadistically cruel that she can’t bring herself to name her little boy Gordon. It took a remarkable amount of willpower to name him Bear. When her husband finds out, he beats her severely and tells her the next day that she’s to return and name him Gordon. She returns to the registry and names him Julian, her first choice. But when her husband, who is a well-loved surgeon, finds out, he tears her apart almost limb by limb. From there, the domestic abuse escalates to horrific levels.

In the end, we have three stories told as if the boy was raised: Bear, Julian, or finally, Gordon. The question arises: How much does a name define you? Can it change your life? Will you have a different future? Do you live up to, or in this case, down to, your given name?

The book is well-written, but it’s also exceedingly gruesome to me. The kind of outrageous beatings that landed the father in jail didn’t stop his abuse. And to be frank, it was difficult for me to read. I had to give up reading the book at night, Was Is it a good book? Absolutely. Is it well-written? Very. Was it too much for me? Sadly, yes.

I look forward to reading other reviews by the author of this debut novel.

#TheNames @florenceKnapp @Viking @pameladormanbooks #grief #loss #torture #serialabuse #beatings #fear #names #future #death #wastedlives

This clever novel asks the question “what’s in a name.” Cora alongside her 9 year old daughter have just set off to register her son’s birth. Her husband is expecting him to name the child after him, but Cora hesitates when she gets there, imagining if she were to call him something else. The novel follows three alternate stories, three different names for her son, seeing how his, and their, life would’ve changed with each.

First, there is a major plotline of domestic violence that you’ll want to be aware of if you are a sensitive reader. But aside from that, this is an absolutely gut-wrenching book about this family and how their lives play out in various realities. I found myself racing through these pages, feeling both uncomfortable wondering what would happen next, and pleading that they’d all be okay.

This book jumps seven years at a time, but each story is told in the same years so that you really get a feel for how life would be for each of these alternate versions of the family. I felt so much when I closed the pages of this book thinking both how brilliant it is to a imagine something as simple as a name changing your life trajectory, and also still feeling so heartbreakingly sad for various outcomes in each of these versions.

To call this book a family drama doesn’t quite get at the power in the pages - because it is so much more - but also, so much of what is at the center is family dynamics with a healthy dose of trying to heal from your past. I loved this book and when it comes out next month I’ll be getting a copy for my keeper shelves.

This book had a very interesting premise of the importance of the name given to a newborn - and how can that name lead the direction of your life, if at all?? There is a trigger warning for domestic violence as that is what leads to the dilemma that Cora has in naming her infant son. Does she follow her domineering husband's family tradition and name the baby after him - Gordon? Does she name the baby with what she wanted to name him - Julian? Or does she let her daughter choose a whimsical name that she wants to call him - Bear? The book explores each name throughout their own chapters and follows the life the family and children have taken according to the name Cora chose. How has the boy's name directed the future he lives as well as his loved ones. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking Penguin for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #TheNames

What's in a name you ask? Does our name really affect how we live our lives? In this unique and original story, Florence Knapp explores this and more when Cora sets off on a journey to the registrar's office to record her son's birth. Already told by her husband what name she should use, she hesitates and decides for herself. Thus we start exploring 3 different names with three different life outcomes.

Cora's husband is a domineering, controlling man, so domestic violence and generational trauma is also explored. Can you change your fate with a new name? How will each son take advantage of this new start in life and change or keep his intended outcome?
The plotlines unfold over 30 years as we follow the characters throughout their lives to see what happens and how things are different.This was an amazing debut! Well written, and you are really drawn into the different characters' lives and outcomes, becoming vested into their success or otherwise.

Oh this book hurt! Loved the narrative technique of telling three versions of the same story with different attempts to break the generational trauma. There are parts that start to feel a little gratuitous, especially a later death, but still very well done.

Cora sets off to register her son's name, but three different names are suggested, what should she do? told in chapters about the names, interesting story.

Book Review of The Names by Florence Knapp

What a premise for a story! One decision, 3 different outcomes. A young mother is supposed to register her newborn son’s name as Gordon, but instead (and here is where the story begins) does she choose Gordon (after her husband), or Bear or Julian? And we are launched into 3 separate stories based on these 3 different names. I was completely captivated by these 3 timelines and how the each choice leads to different outcomes over 3 plus decades.

The book does deal with spousal abuse, and those small sections are at times very difficult to read.

The book is well written, lyrical, and has solid character development. I found myself unable to put it down. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Net Galley for the Advanced Reader Copy, in exhange for my honest review.

Thank you to Viking and NetGalley for early physical and digital copies of this book!

4.5 stars rounded up

I love this kind of book, one that explores fate, chance, and how much one choice can affect a life. This book explores three different lives of one family based on one decision, a mother choosing a name for her newborn son.

In the first story, Cora goes with the name chosen by her daughter. In the second, she chooses a name that honors her hopes for her son. And in the third, she selects the family name preferred by her husband, who is both physically and emotionally abusive.

We follow these three different versions of a life from 1987 to 2022, in 7 year increments. It’s admittedly a lot of story to keep up with, but I thought the author masterfully used the structure to highlight the long-term ramifications of one single decision. But she also demonstrates that there’s good and bad in every life—there are no “perfect” timelines. I appreciated that she considered how these different storylines would impact the entire family’s dynamic, especially the life of Maia, the older sister.

It’s heart wrenching but also healing to watch these characters grow and develop in these three alternate timelines. Domestic violence is a major theme of this book, and it can be very difficult to read, so keep that in mind before reading. Overall, it’s a fast-paced read that makes you stop and consider the impact of your choices over time.

The Names by Florence Knapp is a very highly recommended literary domestic drama following three alternate scenarios with the same characters. Take note that domestic abuse is a major part of the narrative in this debut novel.

Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register her son's birth. Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor and abusive spouse, demands that she names their son Gordon. Cora likes the name Julian. Maia wants to name her brother Bear. Opening in 1987 and covering a span of thirty-five years, what follows are three different versions of their lives based on the choice of the three different names for her son.

The chapters are all divided by name choice, Bear, Julian, and Gordon, into three parallel timelines and follow the very different scenarios based on the three name choices. There is a seven year jump between chapters until the boy is a 35-year-old man. Each of the timelines is a very different version of the boy's life.

Honestly, if the quality of the writing wasn't so exceptional the rating might have been lower. Opening illustrations based on name choice for each new chapter helps you focus on which boy/name you are reading about, making it easy to keep everything sorted out. All the characters are portrayed as fully realized individuals with strengths and weaknesses, which differ between the name choices and the life lived with that name.

I wasn't entirely sure about how I felt about the three alternate timelines based on a name choice until I had read a good portion of the novel. Initially, I felt two would have been better, but by the time I reached the end I had fully accepted the three different scenarios based on the consequences and implications of a name choice. The domestic violence is a major drawback but does not play a major role is all three timelines.

The Names is a creative, well-written novel that explores how a single decision can influence identity and fate in a family. 4.5 rounded up. Thanks to Penguin Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I enjoyed the concept of this book and the interchanging of the “names”.
I especially became involved in the sibling’s relationship and their memories of their upbringing.
Most tragic was the theme of spousal abuse.on the surface one would not understand why Cora let herself continue in the abusive relationship. I so much enjoyed how each character came to understand their own evolution.
I must admit I did have some trouble following the past, present and future characterization of Cora.
I loved the connection of the title to the story.

I feel compelled to begin by giving a trigger warning for the domestic violence portrayed in this book. That said, I also feel compelled to say that my personal opinion is that the abusive situation is integral to the story and not gratuitous. I would hate for people to miss this superb story before investigating for themselves whether the violence is a deal-breaker. But everyone needs to decide this for themselves.

The premise of the story is intriguing. When her son is born, mother Cora reflects on what to name him. Her husband wants to name him after himself, and she fears reprisal if she chooses a different name. In the prologue, 9 year old Maia suggests the name Bear (because it would mean the baby was soft and cuddly, but also brave and strong). Cora herself suggests the name Julian, which means “father,” mirroring Maia, which means “mother.”

The rest of the book follows the way the boy’s life might have progressed with each of these names. The sections are divided in seven year intervals, each section containing a chapter each for Bear, Julian and Gordon. As each life plays out, characters live, die, marry, divorce and seek happiness in very different ways. This is my only criticism of the book: it is sometimes hard to keep each story straight, to remember who is dead and who is married to whom, and that took my attention away from thinking about how the characters’ names contributed to their life choices. I may go back and read each story straight through, because I feel there is much more to learn.

This is a debut novel, and that makes it all the more impressive. Like others, I believe this book will end up on “best of” lists at the end of the year, and I would love to see it as a movie. Thanks to Viking Penguin for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Cora, along with her young daughter, goes to the registry office to record her newborn son’s name. Her abusive husband wants the baby named Gordon, after him. Cora prefers the name Julian. And her daughter wants to name her brother Bear.
This novel describes the family at 7 year intervals, but presents three different scenarios at each time period—one for the boy named Bear, one for Julian, and one for Gordon. At first I was confused by this format, but once I understood it, I appreciated the ingenuity.
Bear's, Julian's and Gordon's stories are all different. But each one examines the cost of domestic abuse, and the toll it takes on the woman and on her children.

This is an impressive book. 4.5 stars for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC that I would have read sooner but I couldn't get it to download on my Kobo.

For starters I love the overarching premise: one baby boy, three names, three lifetimes told in seven year leaps. What impressed me though was the writing, particularly of the horrid domestic abuse. It was vivid, chilling, and terrifyingly believable, as was the reactions of those just outside of its immediate orbit. This book will stick with me for a while.