The Names: A Read with Jenna Pick: A Novel
4.2 | 25,412 ratings
Price: 14.99
Last update: 01-04-2026
Product details
- ASIN : B0DCF91N28
- Publisher : Pamela Dorman Books
- Accessibility :
- Publication date : May 6, 2025
- Language : English
- File size : 6.0 MB
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 336 pages
- ISBN-13 : 978-0593833919
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Best Sellers Rank:#53 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Marriage & Divorce Fiction
- Women's Friendship Fiction
- Women's Literary Fiction
- Customer Reviews:4.24.2 out of 5 stars(25,507)
Top reviews from the United States
- AlkspedGreat book!This book was so compelling it was difficult to put down. It weaves together numerous themes—domestic abuse, manipulation, sexuality, art, and genetics—all orbiting around Cora, the mother of Maia and her newborn son. The baby’s name becomes a central tension in the story: Gordon, reflecting his father’s expectation that the child be named after him and follow in his footsteps; Julian, meaning “sky father,” the name Cora chooses in an attempt to placate Gordon while still allowing her son the freedom to forge his own path, and Maia’s name choice—Bear—chosen because she wants her brother to be soft and cuddly, yet strong and brave.
Although the shifting names and timelines can feel confusing as the characters move into adulthood, the novel’s central idea remains clear: the names we are given shape who we become and carry the weight of others’ expectations long before we can define ourselves. - Dallas JohnsonA Emotionally Hard but Endlessly Beautiful ReadI truly wish I could embody the way human interaction and thought is presented in this book. The contemplations and actions make it feel like change is as easy as considering it and just acting on it one step at a time.
The base concept of this book proves to be non-stop fascinating.
The little nuances and nods to each of the stories make for a consistently enriching and eye opening read.
Strap in though, this book is absolutely brutal and truly provides an emotional rollercoaster that had me in utter awe, sobbing heartily, and still occasionally laughing.
Such a strong and beautiful story(ies). - Renatawonderful debut novel - don’t skip this one.So, so beautifully written.
Inevitable comparisons will be made to stories like “sliding doors”, but I found “The Names” uniquely captivating. As both an adoptee in touch with my birth family and an abuse survivor it also rang many bells (ie: I could have had other names - and I have some idea what they might have been - often wondering how they might have shaped me differently). This book therefore captivated me entirely. Florence Knapp does a marvelous job advancing her narrative over the three “named” subjects and the core family Maia and (Bear/Julian/Gordon) experience after the pivot point of “Naming” then the cascade of events after. This is a novel impossible to put down once you reach that point. Definitely recommended! - AvidReaderDNF for meJust too many paths too many disconnected stories too many directions the book is all over and at some point the author decides to add scenes form the pandemic - ugh
How is this book getting such good reviews ?
Definitely a DNF for me - NJ Book LoverWhat's in a name...?Wow, this was such an interesting book. How decisions made have a ripple effect through a life. In this instance it is in the naming of a child and how the mother's decision on what name to register affects her life and the lives of her children. This is not a light read. It deals with domestic abuse. It shows how the actions of a parent can have far-reaching effects on a child. This is an intricately woven story. It is so well written, that through each iteration of the lives surrounding the different name of the child, we're drawn into those lives and laugh and weep along with the characters.
- SandraWhat's In a Name?Cora recently gave birth to a son. A name for him has not yet been registered. Her domineering husband wants her to name him Gordon, after himself and the many generations of men before him. However, Cora doesn't want her son to carry his father's name or to resemble him in any way. Cora's nine-year-old daughter wants to name him Bear, because he is cute and cuddly. Cora wants to call him Julian. Which will she choose? At this point, the story breaks off into three story lines, each showing how the baby's life evolves, depending upon which name is chosen. This book follows the three story lines for thirty-five years.
This book was impossible to put down, but also very difficult to read in parts. The characters were well-developed and the concept was very interesting. It is an experience not to be missed. - sharon f. leffWhat’s in a Name?One abused woman, mother of a 6 year old daughter and a newborn son must register a name on her unnamed newborn for his birth certificate. She considers 3 choices: Julian, Bear, or Gordon. Knowing her husband’s expectations of naming HIS son after him, she wrestles with this choice, for the last hope is that her son become in any way like this cruel man. Her daughter’s name Mai is rooted in matriarchal symbolism and thus she considers Julian, a name rooted in heavenly patriarchy. And her daughter suggests Bear for its dual symbolism of lovable and cuddly as well as courageous and noble.
Three choices, three possibilities, and three timelines are presented. And throughout the courses the differences in naming created significant path differences. Ultimately, the love that survives and thrives is the love a mother has planted ever so purposefully, unselfishly, and so fully. It is Cora, the core of the family who has tried always to shield her children from her abusive husband.
Very well done story lines. Memorable characters. - Rebecca Ensleybeautifully writtenThis book came at the perfect time for me, I couldn’t put it down. It’s so beautifully written and I am always struck by the power of a mother’s love to change the course of one’s history.