The Names: 'The best debut novel in years' Sunday Times by Florence Knapp

A once-in-a-generation debut from a major new talent, The Names is the story of three names, three versions of a life, and the infinite possibilities that a single decision can spark.
'I've just been blown away by the best debut novel in years . . . A genius idea for a book'
Sunday Times

'Wildly original and emotionally profound'
Observer

'An unadulterated success: moving, evocative and utterly convincing'
The Times

CHOSEN AS A SUNDAY TIMES, DAILY MAIL, RED, PRIMA, STYLIST and EVENING STANDARD BOOK OF 2025
A READ WITH JENNA BOOKCLUB PICK

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 emerged. 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.

'A beautiful, heartwrenching, utterly original novel'
Miranda Cowley Heller, bestselling author of The Paper Palace

'The 2025 book that will be everywhere . . . One of those rare books that makes you glad to be alive'
Stylist

'Magnificent . . . Read it. It's very special'
Chris Whitaker

'Clever, beautiful and deeply moving'
Standard

'Beautifully written, and wise and tender . . . An utter original'
Jojo Moyes

'Exceptional . . . will stay with me for a very long time'
Anita Rani, Woman's Hour

'Heart-shattering . . . a sucker punch of a novel that I think will be one of the biggest books of the year'
Pandora Sykes

'A modern classic'
Jenna Bush Hager

'Heartbreaking and yet brimful of hope . . . Exceptional'
Mail on Sunday

'Brilliant . . . one of those books that will make you irritable with anyone who interrupts you, but which you'll finish wanting to press into the hands of a friend'
The Times

'Astonishing, unique and incredibly moving, The Names is a beautiful novel about the courage of a mother in the moment she names her child . . . I know it will stay with me for a long time'
Jeanine Cummins, author of American Dirt

The Names: 'The best debut novel in years' Sunday Times

by Florence Knapp

Description

Details