Literary Fiction spotlight
The Names
by Florence Knapp
One walk to the register office, three possible names, and three whole lives that follow from the choice.
Buy the book
Cora sets out in the aftermath of a storm to register the birth of her son. Her husband expects the boy to carry his name. What she says at the desk splits the story into three.
Publisher's blurb
Synopsis
Knapp follows the same family across thirty-five years in three parallel versions, each set in motion by the name written on a birth certificate. The structure could have been a gimmick. Instead it becomes a study of how much of a life is decided by one act of quiet resistance, and how much simply refuses to change.
The editorial feature
A debut with astonishing control. The three timelines rhyme rather than repeat, and Knapp resists the temptation to reward the bravest choice with the easiest life. The domestic abuse at the centre is written without spectacle, which makes it land harder.
Book details
- Genre
- Literary Fiction
- Released
- 6 May 2025
- Publisher
- Pamela Dorman Books
- Extent
- 352 pages
- Featured on
- 6 May 2025
Where to buy
The Names is available from these retailers.
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