FICTION: The Names, by Florence Knapp

Happy New Year! For our first book of 2026, I've chosen The Names, by Florence Knapp. This one has been on my to-read list for months, so I'm excited to dive in! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217245618-the-names

"Knapp’s plotting is skilful, her tapestry of stories cleverly woven. Characters that play a significant role in one of the three storylines appear fleetingly in others. Personality traits and preferences emerge in subtly different forms. As nature meets nurture, Cora, Maia, and Bear/Julian/Gordon grow into distinct versions but remain recognisably themselves. Each version contrives to inform the others. There are times – inevitable, perhaps, in what is essentially three novels in one – when scenes feel rushed, depth sacrificed to the breadth of the enterprise. Cora’s GP husband Gordon, a paragon outside the home, a monster within it, is a frustratingly one-dimensional villain. Such cavils aside, The Names stands out as a compelling and original debut, a book that asks at least as many questions as it answers. In the end, and despite the neatness of its premise, this is not so much a book about the impact of our names but about the implications of our decisions, how a moment of courage or recklessness or blind terror can act like a finger on a scale, shifting the balance of a life forever." — Clare Clark, The Guardian

*This event will be held at Embarc Wines at 2 Embarcadero Center in downtown San Francisco. You can find their menu here: https://embarcwines.com/wines

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Thanks!