The Names

At face value, this story is about how, in choosing the first name of her newborn son, a woman determines how her life and the life of her family will pan out. Does she choose the name her husband has told her to? Does she choose the name her young daughter suggests? Or does she choose the name she prefers? 

But that description is simplistic and a disservice to the book. The Names is more about the mother's three options and how each of her decisions impact her family which is threatened by domestic violence.

Over the course of 30+ years, The Names explores these three 'what-if' scenarios, jumping back and forth between them. It's a cool premise but the jumping between scenarios wasn't smooth and the chapters quite long which often required me to pause so I could remember what had been going on and who the secondary characters were etc. I think this book would have been a struggle for me if I had listened to the audio format.

The story progresses as you'd expect with no big shocking moments but gives readers poignant and relevant topics to discuss. It was a little too complicated in its storytelling and the publisher's blurb calling it a 'modern classic' is a bit of a stretch, but this was an impressive debut, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Florence Knapp

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

First Published: May 6, 2025

Read: July 12-28, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads: 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.