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.

I was excited for a chance to read and review “The Names” by Florence Knapp.

How often are you forced to make a decision and wonder about the door not taken? This novel explores this opportunity. Cora and her husband welcome their second child, a boy. However, the baby is born at home and, as a result, Cora needs to venture to the registrar's office to register his birth and record his name. Mom, Dad, and Big Sister each have their own suggestion and this novel explores the results of the three possibilities over a multi-decade span.

I never have read a premise like this and really enjoyed the three narratives. While this novel had some choppy parts, it really resonated with me. I read this novel very quickly, but I want to read it again, so I can appreciate more of the experience.

Four out of five stars.

Thanks to Florence Knapp, the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to review this book.

I absolutely loved The Names by Florence Knapp. As someone fascinated by the influence names can have on our identity and intrigued by the concept of parallel, ‘sliding door’ type timelines, this book was everything I could have hoped for. I couldn’t put it down—it was beautifully written and deeply moving. Each timeline was compelling enough to stand as a story on its own, but the way they intertwined made the book incredibly unique. A truly remarkable read that will stay with me for a long time.

My words cannot do justice to describe what a special experience it was to read this book. Beautiful, heartbreaking, I cried more reading The Names than I’ve ever cried reading anything before. These characters will live in my heart forever. I cherish the time I got to spend with them. I loved this book so deeply. I will truly be thinking about it (and recommending it) for the rest of my life. Five stars is not enough, five hundred stars wouldn’t be enough.

What’s in a name? The Names weaves together three stories of the same family where the course of their fate was altered based on a name. It is masterfully done - gut wrenching and yet hopeful at the same time - truly remarkable.. A must-read. WOW.

Florence Knapp’s The Names is a beautifully written, introspective novel that explores themes of identity, memory, and family with subtlety and grace. Knapp’s lyrical prose and attention to detail draw readers into a quiet, reflective story that feels both intimate and universal.

a book with a really interesting concept: it traces the relationship between a boy who is named 3 different names, in a family with a timid mother and an EXTREMELY emotionally and physically abusive father. structurally reminds me somewhat of yaa gyasi's homegoing. 3 storylines, each visited 7 years later. very ambitious, quite moving at times, other times the plot feels a bit heavy handed (for example: the bee sting in Bear's storyline did not need to be there; the detail with the cameras I wanted to believe but was pretty unrealistic, and a few more). A flawed but interesting, ambitious, and ultimately quite moving book with a strong prose style.

Naming someone infuses into them all the love, hope, despair, and desperation of the namer. Doubly so if the name is a family name, carrying the weight of generations. Cora understands that names have power, which is why she does not want to name her son after his abusive father. The book follows the family through three name options, including the family name. Each name universe is unique and lived in. I enjoyed the different characterizations of each version of the family, and the revelations of what they learn, lose, and find as a result of having an abusive partner/parent. There are several narrative through lines, including friendships and relationships, but what I especially enjoyed was that there were 'canon events' that crossed through each name universe that elicited different responses from the characters. The Names is a stunning exploration of family and the nature vs nurture argument.

“The Names” by Florence Knapp is a family drama about the long term effects in choosing the name for your child. I found this concept very intriguing and this story which takes place over 35 years shows how the same child evolves with 3 different names. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t realize this story is really about domestic abuse and the horrible effects on every family member. I found the story to be difficult to read and depressing. I think it would be helpful to others if I categorized this as a trigger warning. I do think this author has a lot to offer and I look forward to reading her future books.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Florence Knapp's The Names hooked me with its fascinating concept and kept me turning pages. Each chapter alternates perspectives, presenting Julian/Bear/Gordon as the same yet different individuals. Just as I became invested in one version of him, the narrative would shift, keeping me intrigued and reflecting on how much a name might shape a life. It even made me wonder how different my own life might be with another name—though perhaps not as drastic as Cora’s journey!

Knapp’s writing is both engaging and thought-provoking, making this book a surprisingly quick read despite its depth. The alternating chapters added momentum and variety to the story.

Thank you to Florence Knapp, PENGUIN GROUP Viking Press, and NetGalley for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another fabulous book from a debut writer, Florence Knapp writes about how the naming of a person can affect their lives. Cora gives birth to a son. In the book the son has 3 story arcs given the name she has chosen for him. And of course three completely different storylines. It’s an unusual premise that works beautifully. I really enjoyed this story. Recommend for all public libraries.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the different point of views throughout. This book definitely makes you think about if your life would be different if you had been named something else.

4.5 rounded up. This was such a unique premise and I was instantly hooked. The way one small choice butterfly-effects its way into someone's life in not 2 but 3 stories makes for a great read.

What's in a name?

The premise of this book's plot is so enticing. Cora (mother and one time dancer) and Gordon (husband and physcian) have their second child, a boy. He is welomed at home by big sister, Maia, 9 years his senior.

Because the baby is born at home during a snow storm with a midwife attending, it is days later that Cora trudges to the registrar's office to register his birth and record his name. This is where the meat of the plot begins - she is very ambivalent about the name. Her husband, who is controlling, manipulative, calculating, cruel and for lack of a better term, a real a**hole, is expecting her to name the baby after him and his father, Gordon. Cora herself fancies the name, Julian, and in her mind believes she can justify it to Gordon because Julian means "father" just as their daughter's name, Maia, means "mother." Maia herself, a real little mother hen who has become accustomed to her father's tirades, voices that she would love to name her baby brother Bear because it is a fun, cuddly moniker.

Bear, Julian, Gordon...the remainder of the book, which spans a period of 35 years in seven year intervals, discloses the versions of each of their lives in relationship to the chosen names. What if their son and Maia's brother grew up being named Bear; who would he be if he were Julian; how would the name Gordon affect not only his but all of their lives?

The story is in intruging while simulataneously fascinating, disheartening, discouraging, and in some instances deadly. It is captivating to see just what is in a name and its connotations. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group for this captivating read that hits shelves May 6th.

At one level this.is an engrossing family drama with appealing characters. At another it’s an overly schematic novel, with parallel storylines that can become confusing. Knapp is talented and I can see why her plan for the book would appeal. But I’m still unsure that the structure was a wise choice. Yes, it allows latitude to examine the determinism of three options, but that becomes a rather rigid setup.
Also, Gordon the abusive husband is such a one-dimensional character..Yes, he’s given a family background that is supposed to explain his awfulness, but that seems paper thin too. I think the novel would have been stronger with a more rounded figure as its villain.
I’ll be interested to see what the author does next.