Praise for The Names:
“Knapp’s plotting is skillful, her tapestry of stories cleverly woven…The Names stands out as a compelling and original debut, a book that asks at least as many questions as it answers.”
—The Guardian
“Dazzling. . . Its premise sets up a sort of thought experiment, but the novel is really a profound, deeply compassionate examination of domestic abuse. . . The Names is startlingly joyful and paced like a thriller. I raced through it and immediately read it again. . . Knapp brings an eye for precise detail to her descriptions of domestic spaces and the natural world. She writes with exceptional skill and passion about artists and artisans. . . Knapp tirelessly and beautifully replicates not just loss and grief but endless rebirth and delight, 'the glorious burn of being fully loved.'”
—The Washington Post
“Elegant. . . this is a wholly original work.”
—People
“With The Names, Florence Knapp takes a straightforward speculative premise—what if the name you were given actually determined the path your life would take?—and delivers a grounded, gut-wrenching portrait of the butterfly effect. . . a deft and lovely story.”
—Elle
“Insightful… [this] debut novel has “book club” written all over it. It is guaranteed to make readers reflect about their own lives—how they compare to the characters’ lives, how they might have gone differently if a few circumstances were changed, how they’ve been shaped by the choices we and others made.”
—Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Astonishing. . . beautifully written and incredibly moving. It’s the kind of book that will stay with me for a long time.”
—Jeanine Cummins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of American Dirt and Speak to Me of Home
“An unadulterated success: moving, evocative and utterly convincing… Immerse yourself in Knapp’s picture-perfect set pieces and emotional realism. I read The Names in a single afternoon, glued to the pages, occasionally wiping away a tear. It’s one of those books that will make you irritable with anyone who interrupts you, but which you’ll finish wanting to press into the hands of a friend. I can see the film adaptations, the book club meetings, the talk-show discussions spooling out in its future: make sure to read it first.”
—The Times
“This noteworthy debut explores a sobering topic with creativity, cleverness, and care. . . the boldness and thoughtfulness of Knapp’s plotting add complexity and a welcome unpredictability. . . inviting the reader to think about not just the ripple effects of a single decision and the workings of an abusive family but also about a profound and classic concern of fiction: How things we can control in life interact with things we could never have seen coming.”
—Kirkus (starred review)
“Intriguing and nuanced…Readers won’t be able to stop talking about this intelligent exploration of a single choice’s long tail of repercussions.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Compelling [and] emotionally wrenching. . . In clear, compelling prose, Knapp delicately builds a layered story about fate, free will, trauma, and hope. . . . Both devastating and hopeful, this novel and its characters will linger with readers long after they finish the last page.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“The Names mesmerizes with writing that is both visceral and beautifully crafted, containing something of the timeless quality of. . . Claire Keegan. Knapp’s economical language delivers powerful, full-bodied imagery that captures the stakes for the characters in every line. Masterfully working with all three timelines, Knapp presents a complex and deeply affecting story, at once heartrending and hopeful.”
—BookPage (starred review)
“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
“Beautiful, heart-wrenching, utterly original.”
—Miranda Cowley Heller, New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace
“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
“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
“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
“Fascinating and deeply moving, The Names explores how one decision can shape the course of a life—and many other lives in turn. Knapp's characters are perfectly drawn and entirely original, while also being emblematic of the ways domestic violence can damage all the members of a family.”
—J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author of The Cliffs
“This beautifully written, wise, and tender first novel is an utter original.”
—Jojo Moyes, #1 New York Times bestselling author of We All Live Here
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“Every once in a long while, a book comes along that lives up to the hype, that leaves you breathless as you turn the final page. Florence Knapp's debut is it. Once I picked up The Names, I could not put it down. Knapp deftly weaves three narrative strands into a powerful examination of free will, generational trauma, and fate. Each sentence is gorgeous and flowing, each character complex and real. I will never forget Bear, Julian, and Gordon; they are forever etched into my heart by this tender, heartbreaking book.”
—Qian Julie Wang, bestselling author of Beautiful Country
“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 bestselling 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
★ 2025-02-15
An imaginative exploration of the long-term unfolding of an abusive marriage.
Knapp’s debut is a kind of thought experiment focusing on the family of a British couple named Cora and Gordon, beginning with the birth of their second child, a boy who is nine years younger than his sister, Maia. In the prologue, it is 1987, and Cora and little Maia are off to the registrar to officially name the baby. Gordon—a respected doctor in the community, though a terrifying, violent tyrant at home—wants him named Gordon. But on the way to town, little Maia suggests he be named Bear, which "sounds all soft and cuddly and kind." The opening chapter shows Cora making three different decisions: In the first section, in a rare act of defiance, she follows Maia’s suggestion. Next, she selects the name she herself most wants: Julian. Then she follows directions: The baby is Gordon. Each of the subsequent chapters—which are all divided into three sections—jumps ahead by seven years, tracking the consequences and implications of Cora’s naming decision until the boy is a 35-year-old man. If the intention and construction of the book are a bit didactic, expressly designed to illustrate and explore the dynamics of domestic abuse, the boldness and thoughtfulness of Knapp’s plotting add complexity and a welcome unpredictability. As supporting characters are added to each storyline, some appearing in just one, others in two or three, and as the main characters develop in different ways in each scenario, the novel’s structure pays off as Knapp intended it to, inviting the reader to think about not just the ripple effects of a single decision and the workings of an abusive family but also about a profound and classic concern of fiction: How things we can predict and/or control in life interact with things we could never have seen coming.
This noteworthy debut explores a sobering topic with creativity, cleverness, and care.
