Can a Name Change Your Fate?
This episode's pick: The Names by Florence Knapp—a 2025 debut that’s been dubbed the best in years. It’s a literary “Sliding Doors” novel, but with three parallel lives instead of two. The question at its heart? What happens when a single choice—a baby’s name—changes everything?
In this episode, we cover:
Why The Names is more craft experiment than comfort read
The DV scenes that had us stunned (and one that had food on faces)
Who’s really the main character here—Cora or her son?
Why “Hugh” might have changed everything
How names shape identity—and your high school romance
The emotional distance that kept it from being a “Marry”
💋 And, of course, we rate it: Kiss, Kill, or Marry?
⏰ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro, T-shirts, and caffeinated chaos
05:00 – The Names recap: three timelines, one decision
12:00 – Bear, Julian or Gordon? Which name gave the best life?
18:00 – DV, death, and dinner plates: the novel’s heaviest scenes
24:00 – Why we rated how we did
28:00 – Naming your kids: Sue, Anthea, and the sliding doors of Starbucks
34:00 – Gordon’s (the father) final POV and a haunting ending
38:00 – Would “Hugh” have changed the course of fate?
40:00 – Next up on the pod and where to grab our merch
📖 Coming up next:
🎽 Do you read between deadlines too? Grab the merch
☕ If you’re loving the show, we’d be so grateful if you’d buy us a coffee (or a prosecco). It helps keep the pod fun, frequent, and free.
👉Next Ep we’re chatting to
about one of her fave novels, YEAR OF WONDERS by Geraldine Brooks. Have you read it yet?We try to keep the podcast free and fun for everyone—but it does take time (and a lot of editing). If you’re loving the show, we’d be so grateful if you’d buy us a coffee (or a prosecco).
👉 Watch the episode and tell us—have you ever wondered what your life would be like with a different name?
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