The Names
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Remove from Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Names
Narrated by:
Dervla Kirwan
Pre-order for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.
-
Narrated by:
-
Dervla Kirwan
-
By:
-
Florence Knapp
About this listen
'AN UTTER ORIGINAL' JOJO MOYES
'TRULY GORGEOUS, HEART OPENING' ANN NAPOLITANO
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 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.©2025 Florence Knapp (P)2025 Orion Publishing Group Limited
Critic Reviews
Haunting and heartfelt; I couldn't look away from this emotionally charged story of fate, family and heart-shattering what ifs (Claire Daverley, bestselling author of TALKING AT NIGHT)
Magnificent. A stunning, hopeful, bitterly beautiful novel. The Names is a story of decisions, both grand and miniature, of how each is sewn into the tapestry of what makes us uniquely us. And how a single change can be our making and unravelling. Read it. It's very special (Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK)
Every so often a truly special book comes along, one that stays with you long after turning the last page. I raged, cheered and wept alongside Bear, Gordon and Julian. Compassionate, haunting and gripping, it urges you to reflect on the path not taken, the infinite small decisions and sacrifices that lead us to our own particular lives (Elizabeth Macneal, author of THE DOLL FACTORY)
Unlike anything I've ever read, The Names is wise and surprising and thrumming with life. A very, very special book (Bobby Palmer, author of ISAAC AND THE EGG)
This is exquisite storytelling with unforgettable characters and moved me deeply. Watch out for The Names. It's a big one (Jennie Godfrey, author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS)
I read it in three greedy gulps . . . a story of a family broken by cruelty but healed by resilience, love and possibility (Jo Browning Wroe, author of A TERRIBLE KINDNESS)
Brilliant. I was amazed by how much joy Florence Knapp could get into a book so filled with tragedy. Incredibly moving and unexpected, and inventive. It's a real tour de force (Emma Healey, author of ELIZABETH IS MISSING)
A beautiful, gripping and resonant novel that explores with remarkable sensitivity how we become who we are - it will stay with me (Emily Howes, author of THE PAINTER'S DAUGHTERS)
What listeners say about The Names
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.