The Names

Reviews

“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

“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

“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, international #1 bestselling author of The Paper Palace

"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 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

“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 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

“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

“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

“Haunting and heartfelt; I couldn’t look away from this emotionally charged story of fate, family, and heart-shattering what ifs.”
—Claire Daverley, author of Talking at Night

“I found myself completely immersed in this book—it is conceptually clever but compelling, careful and tender in its telling too. It 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

“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

“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

“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

“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 Expand reviews