The Names 
by Florence Knapp
 
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
 
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 intends her to follow a long-standing family tradition and call the boy after him. But faced with the decision, Cora hesitates, questioning whether it is right for her child to share his name with generations of domineering men. Her choice 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 emerges. Or he is Julian, the name his mother set her heart on, believing it will give him the opportunity to become his own person. Or he is Gordon, named after his father and raised in his image - but is there still a chance to break the mould?

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 how love endures, no matter what fate has in store.
 
'The Names is a beautiful, heartwrenching, utterly original novel - this one will stay with me for years to come' - Miranda Cowley Heller, author of THE PAPER PALACE

'I fell in love with Cora and all the versions of her children. A powerful, emotional portrayal of the ways violence, in families and in the world, can leave both brutal and more subtle scars. Compelling, finely crafted, and beautifully written' - Helen Simonson, bestselling author of MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND

'I'm left haunted by this book, and I can't wait to read whatever comes next for Florence Knapp. What a remarkable debut' - Mary Beth Keane, bestselling author of ASK AGAIN, YES