Tomorrow - if morning comes, if the storm stops raging - Cora will register the name of her son. Or perhaps, and this is her real concern, she''ll formalise who he will become. 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 has ordered her to follow a long-standing family tradition and call the child after him but when faced with the decision, Cora hesitates. Should her child share his name with generations of fearful men, or should he be given a chance to break the mould? Her choice in this moment will shape the course of their lives. Seven years later, he is Gordon, raised under his father''s cruel influence, the apple of his eye. Or he is Julian, the name his mother set her heart on, though she is not around to see him grow into it. Or he is Bear, a name chosen by his sister, and a very different fate lies in store for them all . . . This is the story of three names, three versions of a life and the million possibilities that a single decision can spark. And it is the story of one family, whose love will be tested to its limits and survive the unimaginable, whatever the future holds.

Vorwort
The unforgettable debut novel that became an instant word-of-mouth sensation, The Names asks how a name can shape the course of a life and explores the single what-if moments that can overturn a person's fate

Autorentext
Florence Knapp has previously written a non-fiction book about a centuries-old method of quilt making, as well as contributing to a book for the V&A Museum. She lives just outside London with her husband and their dog. Their two children have now flown the nest. The Names is Florence's debut novel and will be published in more than thirty languages.

Klappentext

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

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

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.

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

'The viral literary hit of the summer'
***Grazia*

'A beautiful, heartwrenching, utterly original novel'Miranda Cowley Heller**

'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

'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'
**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