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.

Thank you to #VikingPenguin and #NetGalley for the DRC of #TheNames. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I don't give out 5 stars easily or regularly. And to do it for a debut novel is extraordinary. I LOVED this book. It will likely be my best book of the year and I won't stop talking about it until everyone I know has read it.

This is the story of the Atkin family, told over 35 years. It starts when Cora goes to register the birth of her son. What follows are 3 alternate versions of their lives, based on her son's name, jumping forward 7 years each chapter. Each "story" illustrates the far-reaching impacts of this seemingly simple choice. The structure makes the book unique, but it's the characters and the writing that will pull you in and hold you close.

This book does deal with some heavy subjects - domestic violence, sexual assault, bullying - so take care if these topics are hard for you. But this story is beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful while the epilogue caught me completely by surprise.

Thinking about your name is an interesting exercise. Does your name identify you? Can you imagine yourself with a different name? Would it make a difference? In this story it definitely makes a difference to each member of the family.

The three stories were well told and the reader got to know each person; felt for each person—especially the mom.

You’ll be glad you read it—and you’ll be telling your friends about it.

The opening chapter sets the scene(s). One decision to be made splinters into three paths, equally riveting, hopeful and heartbreaking. The "what-ifs" that this novel explores are so thought-provoking and emotionally layered that they all seem more than possible. The characters feel like they really do exist in my mind and heart, which is the standard to which I hold my favorite novels. Beautiful and highly recommended.

Occasionally someone says, "you rate too many novels 5 stars." So I thought about this and attribute it to the following: 1) I am choosy about what I read and do my research before requesting a DRC, accepting a DRC or purchasing a book so the odds are high it will have merit and be good; 2) as a lifelong voracious reader, I recognize and appreciate a novel that is compelling, well-written and says something new; and 3) what does a rating system even mean. Which brings me to The Names by Florence Knapp. This is truly an outstanding, compulsively readable, unique, five star read. Knapp offers us a sliding doors novel of three versions of one woman's life - but the sliding doors in this case is a name - how does a name - in this the 3 names Cora bestows on her newborn son in 3 different versions of her life - define someone and what happens to our life as a result? This book is harrowing - the 3 "lives" all deal with domestic abuse. But there is beauty in the horror and an understanding of what it means to have a life well lived despite the odds. The highest of recommendations. Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for the DRC.

This will most likely be a celebrity book club pick, calling it now. This is the kind of story that offers up a plethora of introspection and have you contemplating your own name and those you’ve named.

Knapp wastes no time opening up this story by introducing us to Cora and her teenage daughter Maia as they set off to register her sons name, her husband insists on his own namesake but the women have other ideas. The story then follows our characters through three name choices, Bear, Julian and Gordon. From here we see the impact that each given name ripples through all their lives with various outcomes.

This was really emotional at times, often hopeful and in parts very hard to read, please check your trigger warnings, but ultimately it is a tale about the choices we make and the people we become.

With its sliding doors style narrative Knapp excels at plot and storytelling, I think in this case the book could of been longer to work a bit harder at the development of each character but thats ok it is still solid enough enthral the reader.

I didn't like the first chapter when Cora is told to register her son's birth and to give him the same name as is father. That kind of ordering a spouse to do something did not sit well with me. I cheered her as she took matters into her own hands. I hated it when hubby took matters into his hands.

Chapter two starts off the same, but this time Cora makes a different choice.

Chapter three is when we see what happens when she obeys and obey is the only way to describe this.

Chapter four is chapter one seven years down the road. The rest of the chapters follow this pattern which took some getting used to,. but it grew on me. The idea of what happens when different choices are made was a great idea even if the results were not all good.

While not liking the subject matter, I did really like the way it was done and have mentioned to many that it is well worth reading.

Thank you Net Galley for an advance reader copy. Honest opinions expressed here are my own and are freely given.

The Names by Florence Knapp was a book unlike any other I have read before. It seems to be getting many great advanced reviews and it is absolutely deserving of them. This novel is told in three alternating storylines based on three different names that the main character could have been given at birth. What results is a beautiful and nuanced story of a family attempting to survive and overcome domestic abuse and forge their own identities in the process. I loved the way that the plot and storylines overlapped, while still being unique from one another.

It takes some getting used to when jumping from one point in time to another since there are three different versions of Bear/ Julian/ and Gordon's life but once you get the hang of it the story is quite profound and moving. I couldn't help but root for each character and looked forward to seeing where they would each end up. This one comes out in a couple of months so put your names on hold at the library now!

This is one of those books that you can't stop thinking about or talking about. Knapp explores the different paths a life can take based on something as simply, yet powerful, as a name. Read this in one night. Heartbreaking and moving, it is one I won't soon forget. Knapp is a master storyteller.

Luminous and unforgettable, THE NAMES is a well-told story that deserves to become a modern classic. Knapp's writing is lovely, and the various narratives she weaves are both entertaining and thought-provoking. Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

The Names
by Florence Knapp
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
It was a difficult brutal read--- but so good!
With exceptional sensitivity and depth, Knapp draws us into the story of one family, told through a prism of what-ifs, causing us to consider the "one . . . precious life" we are given. The book’s brilliantly imaginative structure, propulsive storytelling, and emotional, gut-wrenching power are certain to make The Names a modern classic.
I enjoyed the three parallel story lines, endearing and gut-wrenching characters, engrossing prose. Great for literary and commercial fiction readers!

TW: Domestic violence

I am going to be in the minority. I don't like alternate ending or alternate realities books andnI wish I hadn't requested this. I know this is a personal preference and do not hink I would be able to review unbiased.so I will go right I'm the middle.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a wonderful book! Choices. Life is all about choices. And given 3, a story is written about the outcome of each. Heartbreaking and hopeful, this was beautifully and sensitively written. Bravo!!!

I requested this book from NetGalley as the subject of the influence of a name on a child's future is of great interest to me. However, this novel fell short of my expectation and seemed to me simply a new way to utilize current hot topics to sell a book.

I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Needless to say, all views are my own.

Can a name change the course of a life?
Thank you, Pamela Dorman Books,  for the gifted copy of The Names {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date:  5.6.2025
Pages: 336
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

The Names is one of those stories that stays with you long after you finish it, for days, even weeks. The author weaves a profoundly heartbreaking tale while still creating moments of unexpected beauty. It made me pause and reflect on how the good and the bad seem to collide in our lives daily.

Told in three parallel stories—each chapter set 7 years later—the book follows the same character (Bear, Julian, and Gordon). While the focus is on these three, the other characters that appear along the way leave just as much of an impact. Spending so much time with each character made me feel like I truly got to know them on a deeper level. I couldn’t help but root for them to find their own happiness, even through their struggles.

While I usually don’t delve into content warnings, it’s important to mention that The Names does contain domestic violence throughout the story. There are moments in the book that have stayed with me long after I finished it, ones that bring tears to my eyes just thinking about what some people endure. Please tread carefully if you decide to pick this one up.

Read if you enjoy:
👏🏼 Debut Novels
🚪 Sliding Door Trope
🔀 Parallel Timelines
📖 Literary Fiction

I highly recommend adding The Names to your 2025 reading list. It’s one of those books that will stay with you for a long time.

The Names explores the effect a name can have on an individual and his family; how one choice has the potential to lead to three different results. There are three scenarios (one for each of three names) presented, each following the boy, his older sister, his mother, his abusive father , and his grandmother. As he and his sister enter adulthood, the novel also explores how the name affects finding one’s significant other and its impact on social relationships. I found it interesting to discover that there are some topics that seem to repeat in alternative ways for each version of Bear/Julian/Gordon (for example, Lily.)

The Names offers a fascinating premise that is well developed in this debut novel. Highly recommended!

What’s in a name? Juliet didn’t think it defined a person. However, in this book, it means a lot. This is a complicated, heartbreaking story that delves into a family torn apart by the anger of a man yet held together by the love of a woman.

Spanning several decades with alternate versions of what the future could be a wife fears her husband’s all-encompassing wrath. She endures emotional and physical pain in the confined space he keeps her in, with the hope of protecting her children, but when she boldly disobeys him over a name life takes a turn. The various names she chooses for her son become symbols of who she imagines he will grow up to be. Through trauma, newfound love, can a family put itself back together. The significance of a name holds great meaning in this hauntingly beautiful look at the once hurt who find the care necessary to heal, windows open for the once unloved letting in a warmth they’ve never previously known, familial bonds once fragile are strengthened, and room is made for new love where, before, space didn’t permit it.

Through adversity come strength and transformation. You’ll wince and shudder at what the characters endure, then rejoice at their profound resilience and the love that seeps through the ugly cracks.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a wonderful book. Exquisitely written, interesting literary device using the same basic story but providing different outcomes and experiences based on the selection of a child’s name -showing that the smallest type of defiance can change one’s outcome in life. Interesting character development. Sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes providing you with hope.