I’ve read a few books that incorporate partner abuse in the past year. It is not my favourite subject matter; I find it hard to stomach but it seems to be a popular topic at the moment.

I found the premise interesting but once the writer started switching between character points of view I found it a little difficult to keep up with. However, I love the idea that a child’s name could change everything for them and those around them and for generations to come. It reminded me of the Broadway play/musical “If/Then” (if you don’t know it look it up) which I really enjoyed.

Overall, I had a bit of trouble with the writer’s manner of presenting the story but I found the plot compelling. The writing itself had a great flow and the characters were engaging.

Cora is a mother to a 9 year old Maia and a new little boy. She needs to register her little boy’s name and has been given strict instructions by her controlling husband that their baby son is to bear his name, Gordon. Cora, a domestic abuse victim just struggling to survive the situation at home, contemplates naming their son something completely different – either Julian or Bear. She does not want her son to have the name of her husband, who in the public eye is a well-liked physician in the community, but tortures and beats her behind closed doors. She wants to stop the vicious cycle. But she knows there will be consequences.

What follows is three different stories based on what Cora chooses to name her son. Gordon/Bear/Julian. The stories travel through time, from the day the naming happens, through the childhoods of her daughter and son, into their adulthood almost up to the present. We see Cora’s story, and that of her mother’s, a mother who had no clue about the situation or the abuse. We see a bit of Gordon, the father’s story, none of which justify the horrific abuse that he inflicts. But offers some perspective. There is a lot of hopelessness, with tiny bits of hope along the way, but the novel is overwhelmingly heartbreaking.

The story is uniquely told, reflecting on life and what could happen based on choices. In the end it seems that things may just be different, depending on which point of view, not necessarily better or worse. I found the descriptions of domestic abuse quite horrendous; I had to put the book down sometimes. And got lost a little in the middle, when I had to backtrack to follow where I left off with which named story. The writing flows well, descriptive, emotional, a great debut novel, but the subject matter may be difficult for some.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy for an honest review.

What a debut novel! Loved it. 4.5

A clever plot line about 1 boy, with 3 possible names and 3 possible life outcomes.

Beautifully written and painfully brutal. A story of a physically and mentally abusive patriarch with eventually resilient and hopeful lives for his family. It’s not a happy ever after, Pollyanna ending but there is healing. How they navigated their trauma seemed real.

Very hard to put down, good thing it was a long weekend! I would definitely recommend.

Thank you so much to Florence Knapp, NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC.

The Names by Florence Knapp explores destiny as it pertains to names in this speculative fiction tearjerker.

Cora an abused woman sets off one stormy morning with her daughter Maia to register her son's birth. Her abusive husband Gordon expects his son to be named after him. Cora imagines what her son's life will entail being named after his horrible father, so she decides to do something unexpected.

The story then follows Cora and Maia and her son, with alternating versions of her son's life based on the different names she wanted to give him. The novel takes on a speculative nature when it becomes evident that a person's name has great effects on their destiny, with the meaning of their name determining the course of their life.

Emotional and thought provoking, The Names is a visionary fiction epic about fate, free will, and trauma.

I believe that we call books into our lives when we need to receive an important message. The Names came into my life when I was contemplating a name change. It made me think about the meaning of my own name and those of others and how their lives do in fact align with the symbolism of their names. It made me realize that we should be careful about the names we choose for ourselves as they can have far reaching implications. Perhaps they can rewrite our destiny? Or maybe we are subconsciously acting out their symbolism? The Names was an ingenious story that explored these questions, with heavy consequences for each of the characters. At times it was difficult to keep reading the story when things got dark and depressing for the characters, but the guilt and shame they felt were honest reactions to what they were experiencing and I appreciated their vulnerability. By the end of the story I concluded that no matter what your name or destiny is, each person has the freewill to choose who they want to be. A name may be a repository for all sorts of meanings, but you have the right and choice to make a meaningful life for you and only you.

I recommend The Names by Florence Knapp for anyone who feels burdened by their name, who dislikes their name, or wants to reclaim their identity.

Thank you to Net Galley for this advanced copy. This was wonderfully creative and stunningly sad novel. A story about what could happen if a child was named three different names. It is beautifully written and makes you think about how life would be different had you made different choices along the way. I highly recommend this book. It would be a really great book club book to discuss. Thank you to Net Galley for this advanced copy. This was wonderfully creative and stunningly sad novel. A story about what could happen if a child was named three different names. It is beautifully written and makes you think about how life would be different had you made different choices along the way. I highly recommend this book. It would be a really great book club book to discuss.

What a read! Florence Knapp's debut novel is anticipated for a reason. Using the catalyst of choosing her child's name, through three diverging story lines Knapp was able to fully develop the three main characters. I appreciated that none of the story lines were simplistic, demonstrating that while choices can have vastly different outcomes there is not necessarily and 'easy way'.

This book was so well written as it told a family's journey through parallel timelines with three very different outcomes. The premise of the book is how a name can change the course of your life. Or any sole decision, for that matter. It was hard to read at times as the domestic abuse, and it's everlasting effects on the family, was substantial. This was such an emotional story, beautiful and heartbreaking.

A beautiful, haunting, emotional read with a unique premise - how names can shape the trajectory of a life. The story starts off with a young mother, Cora, who is considering three different names (Bear, Julian, Gordon) for her baby boy as she heads to the local registrar to register his birth. Her abuser husband, a respected doctor, Gordon, had told Cora to name the boy after him.

The story then branches off into three paths that span the course of thirty-five years. Each path represents the different trajectories of the baby boy living life as Bear, as Julian, and as Gordon. It is a fascinating concept to see how the names and their meanings shape the life of the baby boy and his family. Each story is equally interesting and explores the what ifs, the consequences that actions have, the impact of trauma, but also the power of healing. The author does a great job with each story strand and there is a well-crafted conclusion.

The writing is immersive, the pacing even (though the middle part slowed down a bit for me), and the execution of this original storyline was excellent. That is a debut is just unbelievable.

Thanks to Viking and Penguin Random House Canada for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 6, 2025
Florence Knapp’s novel, “The Names” is a beautifully written, transcendent debut that mimics Shakespeare’s age-old question- what’s in a name?
Cora is on her way to register the birth of her son, with her nine-year old daughter in tow. Her husband, Gordon, is a well-liked and respected local doctor in the community and, as far as he is concerned, the only name the baby should be given is his own name, Gordon. But when she gets to the registrar’s office, Cora is torn by the decision- how important is a name, really? Does she want her son to grow up to be angry and violent like his father or is she willing to risk that wrath herself to give her son the best chance at life?
“The Names” is a multi-timeline, multi-protagonist novel with an interesting style. In three different versions of events, Cora names her child three entirely different names, and the reader gets to experience all three differently-named boys as they grow into manhood. Cora narrates portions of the story herself, as does her son and her daughter, Maia, allowing readers to witness the emotional storyline from all angles.
With a novel written in such a way, one would think that it would be difficult to keep track of all of the various characters and timelines but, in fact, the three storylines work so well together that they are somehow both the same story, and three separate ones, both flowing with beautiful language and endearing characters.
What is important to note is that Gordon is not just mean- he is aggressive, violent and abusive. In all three storylines his relationship with Cora and his children looks different, but he remains the same man at his core so, needless to say, his ending is the most satisfying, regardless of which storyline he is featured in.
“The Names” is unlike anything I’ve read before, where three separate storylines branch out, following the same characters throughout their lives, as they end up with different partners, make different career choices and even live in entirely different countries. What role does a name play in the decisions we make? It is definitely a question you will ask yourself more than once throughout.
Knapp’s debut is painful, heartwarming and thought-provoking all at once and it is not a novel I will not easily forget.

The Names

This might be one of the most beautiful books I have read in a long time. 3 separate story lines, all beginning with one choice - what will Cora name her son.

Will she go with what her daughter wants: Bear. How her abusive husband reacts and changes their fate forever.

Will she go with what she wants: Julian and see how to make this work in the midst of her changing safety.

Will she go with what her husband demands: Gordon - a family name. Continuing her life as is, enduring.

Each choice is displayed and laid out over the next couple decades. You get to see how one decision really can change your life. 

I don’t think any review could give it justice, but I’ll say the author wrote so beautifully. The characters come to life and there’s many moments where you feel the joy, heartbreak, and relationships in the book.

This book will touch your heart, and I’m going to start recommending it to everyone!

Thank you NetGalley, Florence Knapp and Penguin Random House Canada for the chance to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Shakespeare wrote that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, even if it was not called a rose. In Florence Knapp's provocative new novel "The Names', she examines whether or not that is true for people. How much does our name determine who we are, and who we becomes. It's interesting to note that historical studies have shown girls with unusual names seem to fare better than boys with unusual names. The boys are often bullied and judged. This study may be outdated as societies have become more diverse with people drawing names from a variety of cultures and languages. Still it remains a fact that since you carry your name forever, you also carry all its strengths, weaknesses, misconceptions, short forms and misspellings.

"The Names" tells the story of one family - father Gordon, wife Cora, daughter Maia and a new baby boy, whose name is yet to be determined. It imagines their lives unfolding, depending on what that little boy is called - whether he is named after his father and forebears as tradition dictates, whether he is given the name with special significance picked by his mother, or whether he is named in a joyful, slightly random way. Each of those parallel stories are told in seven-year increments. Each possibility is unique and believable and yet there are common moments, events, and people and they have tremendous impact.

The novel is not just about names and how people react to us baed on our name. It also weaves in themes of love, sacrifice, art, sexuality, intimate partner violence, and death,

Knapp has created a wonderful read. It is entertaining, emotional and thought-provoking. (I've been thinking about what we choose to call our children ever since I finished the book.) It is also a perfect book club discussion book because there is so much to dig into.

Thank you Florence Knapp for thinking up this story and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.

This book was offered to me as an ARC from Netgalley. The premise hooked me immediately and the book did not disappoint. All three story lines were very interesting, and had me hooked from start to finish. This book is not fast moving but more a life journey. I very much enjoyed reading this book and rate it 4.5. In my mind, that is an amazing accomplishment for the author of a debut novel. This book would be great for book club reads as there are so many points that could be discussed. Some sample book club questions could be added at the end of the author thank you's.

Wow, what a cool and unique concept. This was such a quick and gripping read due to the format of following Bear/Julian/Gordon through his life(s). Loved and will be thinking about this for a while. i can’t wait to discuss!

The Names by Florence Knapp

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved it!

I feel so beyond lucky and grateful to have been sent an early copy of this novel by Penguin Random House and Florence Knapp in exchange for an honest review, because I think this will be one of my favourites for the year. This book was collectively heart-wrenching, heartbreaking and heartwarming.

I loved this Sliding doors/Maybe in Another Life type parallel life and the butterfly effect of how one decision, like what we might name our child, can change their life and others lives so completely and irrevocably. This novel highlights some serious and heavy topics and how they have a ripple effect on everyone they touch. It is so beautifully written and there’s so much thought and intention behind every event, character and name.

📖 This is the story of Cora, a mother of a daughter and an infant boy who walks to the registrar after a storm to register the birth of her baby, with the expectation from her domineering husband that their son be named after him and the horrible men of their family. The book splits into 3 different parallels for each name she considered: Bear (the name her daughter wants to name him), Julian (the name she wants to give him) and Gordon (the generational name she has been instructed to bestow on him). The 3 parallel lives of Cora and her children Maia and Bear/Julian/Gordon are all very different but all greatly influenced by the trauma Cora’s husband and the children’s father inflicts.

The story does have jumps in time, and they were really well done as to give you closure to unfinished conversations and cliffhangers. There are a few trigger warnings such as domestic violence, murder and sexual assault.

This felt like a mix of Sliding doors, Maybe in Another Life and The Great Alone and something so uniquely its own. I look forward to whatever Florence Knapp writes next.

The Names is a beautifully written and emotionally unsettling debut novel by Florence Knapp. The story opens with a mother’s decision to name her baby and then splits into three perspectives as a result of her choice. Each of these storylines shed a unique light on the family’s intricate dynamics. While the novel’s emotional depth is remarkable, the depictions of domestic violence made it hard to get through at times. However, the book’s unforgettable characters make it a powerful read and there are many heartfelt moments that bring back hope into the reader’s heart. If you can handle the heavier themes, it’s an incredibly moving story about resilience, identity, and the ties that bind us.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. The Names is set to be published May 6, 2025.