The Names

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 formalise who he will become.

It is 1987, and in the aftermath of a great storm, Cora sets out with her nine-year-old daughter to register the birth of her son. Her husband intends for her to follow a long-standing family tradition and call the baby after him. But when faced with the decision, Cora hesitates. Going against his wishes is a risk that will have consequences, but is it right for her child to inherit his name from generations of domineering men? The choice she makes in this moment will shape the course of their lives.

Seven years later, her son is Bear, a name chosen by his sister, and one that will prove as cataclysmic as the storm from which it emerges. Or he is Julian, the name his mother set her heart on, believing it will enable him to become his own person. Or he is Gordon, named after his father and raised in his cruel image - but is there still a chance to break the mould?

Powerfully moving and full of hope, this is the story of three names, three versions of a life, and the infinite possibilities that a single decision can spark. It is the story of one family and love's endless capacity to endure, no matter what fate has in store.

The Names is a beautiful, heartwrenching, utterly original novel - this one will stay with me for years to come -- Miranda Cowley Heller, author of THE PAPER PALACE
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, multi-million-copy bestselling author of HELLO BEAUTIFUL
I'm in AWE. Powerful, moving and beautiful, The Names takes an important subject and handles it perfectly -- Marian Keyes, author of GROWN UPS
Haunting and heartfelt; I couldn't look away from this emotionally charged story of fate, family and heart-shattering what ifs -- Claire Daverley, bestselling author of TALKING AT NIGHT
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 unravelling. Read it. It's very special -- Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK
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
Unlike anything I've ever read, The Names is wise and surprising and thrumming with life. A very, very special book -- Bobby Palmer, author of ISAAC AND THE EGG
This is exquisite storytelling with unforgettable characters and moved me deeply. Watch out for The Names. It's a big one -- Jennie Godfrey, author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS
I read it in three greedy gulps . . . a story of a family broken by cruelty but healed by resilience, love and possibility -- Jo Browning Wroe, author of A TERRIBLE KINDNESS
The Names is a tour de force of storytelling. 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-big and small-that define our lives. Each character is drawn with a complexity that lingers long after the last page. A truly mesmerizing and profound book that I'll never forget -- Alison Espach, author of THE WEDDING PEOPLE
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. It's a real tour de force -- Emma Healey, author of ELIZABETH IS MISSING
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
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, New York Times bestselling author of LITTLE MONSTERS
A stunningly and deftly told story of family, survival and the fundamentals of human existence. The Names blew me away. Heartbreaking, hopeful and gorgeously crafted -- Kirsty Capes, author of GIRLS
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, bestselling author of ASK AGAIN, YES
I found myself completely immersed in this book - it is conceptually clever but compelling, careful and tender in its telling too. The clever use of time reminded me of some of my favourite novels - Life After Life, One Day, The Time Traveler's Wife - yet The Names is its own special thing: a moving exploration of the impact of choice and how much power any of us really have to dictate the course of our lives -- Kate Sawyer, author of THIS FAMILY
Ambitious, compelling and intensely moving, The Names succeeds in all it sets out to do. Knapp showcases her talent with aplomb -- Anne Griffin, author of WHEN ALL IS SAID
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, author of MAYBE NEXT TIME
This is a fascinating and inventive debut that takes the Sliding Doors concept to new levels. Ambitious, original and deeply emotional. It is beautifully written, a huge achievement -- Edel Coffey, author of IN HER PLACE
The Names is extraordinary. Such clean, beautiful prose. Somehow she tells this story of many people, many different lives, many different times and those sliding door moments with such clarity . . . I could not look away because Florence Knapp makes you care instantly about every single character. The novel is full of truths about nature and nurture, the people we meet in our lives who can help us choose new paths . . . a very bold, brave and moving story about domestic abuse. But most of all for me it was the story of a bond between a brother and a sister and the lengths a mother will go to to protect her children. I would say we can all believe the hype. Brava Florence Knapp for your novel from the heart -- Georgina Moore, author of THE GARNETT GIRLS
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, bestselling author of MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND
A magnificent novel, thrumming with life in all its pain and precariousness, yet suffused with the glorious possibilities of love and redemption -- Geraldine Brooks, author of YEAR OF WONDERS
Ambitious, compelling and intensely moving, The Names succeeds in all it sets out to do. Knapp showcases her talent with aplomb -- Anne Griffin, author of WHEN ALL IS SAID
Such a brilliant premise! The Names is a thought-provoking, beautifully written, heartbreaking yet uplifting novel that I devoured in just two sittings . . . a triumph. I adored it -- Joanna Miller, author of THE EIGHTS
Ranging across the whole gamut of human emotions, The Names is a dazzlingly original meditation on the multiple potential selves contained inside a single life, and, in many ways, a challenge to live and love well. It's experimental, absorbing, beautifully conceived and stylishly executed -- Joanna Glen, author of ALL MY MOTHERS
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, author of THE MAN WHO DIDN'T CALL and THE LOVE OF MY LIFE:
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
I've just been blown away by the best debut novel in years . . . I had a wonderful 24 hours when I disappeared into another world . . . I curled up and just read. What captured my attention? The Names by Florence Knapp . . . The conceit is simple. It's so good, you wonder why no one has done it before . . . a genius idea for a book Sunday Times
I read the first few chapters of this moving story in awe that it was a debut. Not only is it beautifully written, it's alive with raw emotion and both devastating and heartwarming by turn Good Housekeeping
I predict this will be a big hit this year Prima
One of 2025's most talked-about novels already Red
The 2025 book that will be everywhere . . . It may well break your heart but it will piece it back together again, too - this is one of those rare books that shines with humanity and makes you glad to be alive Stylist: 26 Must-Read Books That Will Be Massive This Year
An intriguing question cleverly explored . . . a sliding doors story exploring three different versions of a life Independent
A sensation long before it hits the shelves, this heart-breaking debut was the centre of a bidding war Daily Mail: Ones to Watch
A beautiful exploration of fate and the ripple effects of choice . . . Knapp explores how a single decision can reshape a life . . . richly layered with all the joy and heartbreak of this one wild and precious life Reader’s Digest
Compelling Irish Independent
What's in a name? That's the pivotal question in this ambitious debut novel, which begins with the moment a mother chooses the name of her child Goodreads: Big Books of 2025 preview
[A] sparky debut RTÉ

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 V&A Museum. She lives just outside London with her husband and their dog. Their two children have now flown the nest. The Names is Florence's debut novel and will be translated into more than twenty languages.

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