The Names - by Florence Knapp (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"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!" --Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful

"Magnificent. A stunning, hopeful, bitterly beautiful novel....Read it. It's very special."--Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark

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.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Names

"A magnificent novel, thrumming with life in all its pain and precariousness, yet suffused with the glorious possibilities of love and redemption."
--Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Horse

"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!"
--Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful

"Behold The Names, which delivers a propulsive, beautifully told story about what happens in three different scenarios when a baby is given three different names. . . Don't miss it!"
--Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of Swan Song

"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."
--Alison Espach, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding People

"Magnificent. A stunning, hopeful, bitterly beautiful novel. The Names is a story of decisions, both grand and miniature, of how each is sewn into the tapestry of what makes us uniquely us. And how a single change can be our making and unraveling. Read it. It's very special."
--Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All The Colors of the Dark

"I'm left haunted by this book, and I can't wait to read whatever comes next for Florence Knapp. What a remarkable debut."
--Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes

"Beautiful, heart-wrenching, utterly original."
--Miranda Cowley Heller, New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace

"Haunting, heartbreaking and spellbindingly beautiful, this novel more than delivers on its brilliant premise. I loved Knapp's spare, luminous prose and the three casts of characters, each as complex and human as the other; above all I loved their thirst for hope and redemption, which kept me rooted to their side even in their darkest hours."
--Rosie Walsh, New York Times bestselling author of The Love of My Life

"In The Names, Florence Knapp takes an ordinary question--what's in a name?--and turns it into a meditation on identity, fate, and family. Sharp, tender, and beautifully rendered, with characters that linger long after the final page, this is storytelling at its finest."
--Adrienne Brodeur, bestselling author of Wild Game and Little Monsters

"The Names is a gorgeous, compelling, and haunting novel. Florence Knapp gracefully explores the ideas of fate, luck, and the weight of a name. Each version of these characters and this story cracked my heart wide open."
--Jennifer Close, bestselling author of Marrying the Ketchups

"I'm in AWE. Powerful, moving and beautiful."
--Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of My Favorite Mistake

"Haunting and heartfelt; I couldn't look away from this emotionally charged story of fate, family and heart-shattering what ifs."
--Claire Daverley, international bestselling author of Talking at Night

"I fell in love with Cora and all the versions of her children. A powerful, emotional portrayal of the ways violence, in families and in the world, can leave both brutal and more subtle scars. Compelling, finely crafted, and beautifully written."
--Helen Simonson, New York Times bestselling author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

"The Names made me fall in love and broke my heart three times over. Gorgeous, hopeful and fascinating, it's a wonderful read that made me reflect on all the small decisions we make and the ripple effects they create. A stunning debut."
--Cesca Major, bestselling author of Maybe Next Time

"Unlike anything I've ever read, The Names is wise and surprising and thrumming with life. A very, very special book."
--Bobby Palmer, international bestselling author of Isaac and the Egg

"The Names is extraordinary. Such clean, beautiful prose . . . Full of truths about nature and nurture, and the people we meet in our lives who can help us choose new paths."
--Georgina Moore, author of The Garnett Girls

"Ambitious, compelling and intensely moving, The Names succeeds in all it sets out to do. Knapp showcases her talent with aplomb."
--Anne Griffin, international besselling author of When All Is Said

"A beautiful, gripping and resonant novel that explores with remarkable sensitivity how we become who we are - it will stay with me."
--Emily Howes, author of The Painter's Daughters

"Brilliant. I was amazed by how much joy Florence Knapp could get into a book so filled with tragedy. Incredibly moving and unexpected, and inventive."
--Emma Healey, international bestselling author of Elizabeth Is Missing

"Reading The Names feels like being submerged into a more beautiful version of our own world, one in which absolutely everything, from a bobbin to a baby's name, vibrates with meaning and potentially devastating consequence. It left me feeling shaken, wrung-out, and glowing with hope. A masterful work of art."
--Holly Brickley, author of Deep Cuts

"Every so often a truly special book comes along, one that stays with you long after turning the last page. I raged, cheered and wept alongside Bear, Gordon and Julian. Compassionate, haunting and gripping, it urges you to reflect on the path not taken, the infinite small decisions and sacrifices that lead us to our own particular lives."
--Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll Factory

About the Author

Florence Knapp has previously written a non-fiction book about a centuries-old method of quilt making, as well as contributing to a book for the Victoria & Albert Museum. She lives just outside London with her husband and their dog. Their two children have now flown the nest. The Names is Knapp's debut novel and will be translated into more than twenty languages.