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4.0
The Names
ByPublisher Description
Can a name shape the course of a life?
In the wake of the 1987 storm, Cora sets off with her 9-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 follow his family tradition going back generations, and name the child Gordon. But on the journey there, Cora wonders if it's right to impose the burden of this name and its legacy onto her newborn son. She herself has Julian in mind, and Maia offers up her own Bear.
What follows are three alternate and alternating versions of her son's life shaped by Cora's last-minute choice of name. Spanning thirty-five years, the novel takes in themes of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities of autonomy and healing.
In prose as precise and intimate as it is thrilling, Knapp draws us in from the very first page, ushering in the tenderness of close family connections, as we follow three unforgettable journeys, each heart-pounding in its own way. With echoes of Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and deep characterisation reminiscent of Ann Patchett and Maggie O'Farrell, Knapp's debut will make you gasp as you root for Cora, Maia and Bear/Julian/Gordon, weighing up which has been the better life, not just for the central character but also for his mother, grandmother, and sister.
In the wake of the 1987 storm, Cora sets off with her 9-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 follow his family tradition going back generations, and name the child Gordon. But on the journey there, Cora wonders if it's right to impose the burden of this name and its legacy onto her newborn son. She herself has Julian in mind, and Maia offers up her own Bear.
What follows are three alternate and alternating versions of her son's life shaped by Cora's last-minute choice of name. Spanning thirty-five years, the novel takes in themes of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities of autonomy and healing.
In prose as precise and intimate as it is thrilling, Knapp draws us in from the very first page, ushering in the tenderness of close family connections, as we follow three unforgettable journeys, each heart-pounding in its own way. With echoes of Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and deep characterisation reminiscent of Ann Patchett and Maggie O'Farrell, Knapp's debut will make you gasp as you root for Cora, Maia and Bear/Julian/Gordon, weighing up which has been the better life, not just for the central character but also for his mother, grandmother, and sister.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Names Reviews
4.0
“This is one of those books where I appreciated the concept more than I enjoyed the reading experience.
The premise is fascinating one decision at birth sends a child down three different paths, allowing us to see how identity, family and circumstance shape a life. I enjoyed watching the differences between Bear, Julian and Gordon emerge as they grew older and I found myself curious about how each version of their lives would unfold. I also liked that the side characters growth and decisions were also shown along the way. The story was much bigger than just the new baby boy.
My biggest struggle was the structure. While I understood the purpose of revisiting the same moments through multiple timelines the repetition kept pulling me out of the story. Just as I would become invested in one version of events the narrative would rewind and begin again from another perspective. Rather than becoming immersed in a single storyline, I often felt like I was observing an experiment.
The repeated depictions of abuse were also difficult for me. I understood why they were important to the story but seeing similar dynamics play out across multiple timelines made parts of the book feel emotionally repetitive.
That said, the ending elevated my rating. The final chapters brought the novel’s themes of choice, regret and the lives we could have lived into sharper focus. By the end I understood exactly what the author was trying to accomplish, even if I wasn’t fully invested in the journey getting there.
A thoughtful novel that ultimately wasn’t quite the right fit for me but one that will likely resonate deeply with readers who enjoy character studies and alternate life narratives.”
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