Sci-Fi/Fantasy Reading Adventure: "The Names" by Florence Knapp 🌌

Can a name change the course of a life?

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 insists she follow a long-standing family tradition and name the boy after him. But Cora questions whether it is right for her child to share his name with generations of domineering men. And when the registrar asks, she hesitates . . .

What follows are three alternate and alternating versions of their lives, shaped by Cora's last-minute choice of name. His life with the name chosen by his sister. And the name his mother set her heart on, believing it will give him the opportunity to become his own person. Or maybe he was named after his father and raised in his image?

This is the story of three names, three versions of a life, and the infinite possibilities that a single decision can spark. And it tells us of love's endless capacity to endure, no matter what fate has in store.

328 pgs

• She Reads Award Winner - Literary Fiction (2025)
• GoodReads Best Debut - Nominee (2025)
• Up for Libby Award - Best Debut (2026)