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A Novel
by Florence Knapp
Book Reviewed by:The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?
In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register her son's birth. Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor, respected in the community but a terrifying and controlling presence at home, intends for her to name the infant after him. But when the registrar asks what she'd like to call the child, Cora hesitates...
Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of Cora's and her young son's lives, shaped by her choice of name. In richly layered prose, The Names explores the painful ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities of autonomy and healing.
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.
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Prologue
October 1987
Cora's mother always used to say children were whipped up by the wind, that even the quiet ones would come in after playtime made wild by it. Cora feels it in herself now, that restlessness. Outside, gusts lever at the fir trees behind the house and burst down the side passage to hurl themselves at the gate. Inside, too, worries skitter and eddy. Because tomorrow—if morning comes, if the storm stops raging—Cora will register the name of her son. Or perhaps, and this is her real concern, she'll formalize who he will become.
Cora has never liked the name Gordon. The way it starts with a splintering sound that makes her think of cracked boiled sweets, and then ends with a thud like someone slamming down a sports bag. Gordon. But what disturbs her more is that she must now pour the goodness of her son into its mold, hoping he'll be strong enough to find his own shape within it. Because Gordon is a name passed down through the men in her husband's ...
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (10/16/2025)
...y a thriller reader, but I thought it added a lot of depth. I'm now rereading https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/5009/the-names The Names by Florence Knapp for an upcoming book club discussion, and that'll be followed by a reread of https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/4821/daughters-...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? (7/17/2025)
Just started This Here Is Love, by Princess Joy L. Perry. A BookBrowse first impressions book. Just finished The Names, by Florence Knapp, and really enjoyed it. Can't believe it's a debut.
-Jill
What are you reading this week? (6/26/025)
I've been thinking about picking up The Names by Florence Knapp next and now I'm also intrigued by your recommendation of The Offing . Thank you!
-Diane_Jones
Which books will you take on vacation?
Kind of a mixed bag of books on the Kindle for the Summer: All We Were Promised - Ashton Lattimore Foundation - Isaac Asimov Spain in Our Hearts - Adam Hochschild The Names - Florence Knapp Spitfires - Becky Aikman These are just for starters. :laughing:
-Gabi_J
What are you reading this week? (5/8/2025)
i am reading The Names by Florence Knapp…it's terrific.
-Kathy_H
What are you reading this week? (5/1/2025)
I'm reading an upcoming release, https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/21801/the-names The Names by Florence Knapp, and then I'll be moving on to https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/21103/the-girls-of-good-fortune The Girls o...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? (04/24/2025)
...discussion here. Then I've got a new book on the horizon: https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/21801/the-names The Names by Florence Knapp. Should be good! In audiobook format, I'm listening to https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/20311/hour-of-the-w...
-kim.kovacs
The plot splits into three parallel storylines, each of which follows the repercussions of Cora's choice. After we get an insight into each set of lives—Bear's family, Julian's, and finally Gordon's—the narrative skips ahead in seven-year chunks, revisiting the characters until Bear/Julian/Gordon turns 35. In addition to simply being a fascinating thought experiment—an exploration of "what if"— each storyline is engrossing in its own right. The book is almost like three exceptionally well-written novellas. Readers get wrapped up in the drama of whether Bear's romantic relationship will work out and if Julian will ever find his niche, for example...continued
Full Review
(757 words)
(Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
Alison Espach, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding People
A tour de force... truly mesmerizing and profound. Knapp crafts a world where names are keys that can unlock the truth about who we are and who we can become. At once haunting and revelatory, The Names is a brilliant exploration of the choices that define our lives. Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful
The Names is a truly gorgeous, heart-opening novel. I couldn't put it down, and I'm grateful to have Cora and her children living inside my heart now. What a wonderful book! Miranda Cowley Heller, New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace
Beautiful, heart-wrenching, utterly original.
In a key scene in Florence Knapp's novel The Names, two characters are in an art gallery viewing an exhibition. The author writes:
"They stop in front of a hideous image, a painting on loan from a gallery in Madrid. It shows a naked man, frenzied and wild-eyed, consuming a smaller figure, its bloodied, headless body clasped between his hands."
The work in question is entitled Saturn Devouring His Son and is by Spanish artist Francisco Goya (1746–1828), and it's one of 14 referred to as his Black Paintings (Pinturas negras).
Goya was a very successful artist and a court painter to two Spanish kings, credited with creating over 600 artworks during his lifetime. In 1792, his health began to decline; he started ...
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Courage - a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it.
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