Noon Book Club - The Names

Name: Noon Book Club - The Names
Start: 2025-08-27T12:00:00-05:00
Location: 329 Hardy St, Hattiesburg, MS, United States, Mississippi 39401

Schedule

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025 at 12:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

329 Hardy St, Hattiesburg, MS, United States, Mississippi 39401 | Hattiesburg, MS

Copies of this month's book are available at the Hattiesburg Library Circulation Desk. New members are always welcome and snacks are provided!
For any questions, please email group leader Brittany Tibbett: [email protected]
About the book:
The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?
In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register her son's birth. Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor, respected in the community but a terrifying and controlling presence at home, intends for her to name the infant after him. But when the registrar asks what she'd like to call the child, Cora hesitates...
Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of Cora's and her young son's lives, shaped by her choice of name. In richly layered prose, The Names explores the painful ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities of autonomy and healing.
With exceptional sensitivity and depth, Knapp draws us into the story of one family, told through a prism of what-ifs, causing us to consider the "one . . . precious life" we are given. The book’s brilliantly imaginative structure, propulsive storytelling, and emotional, gut-wrenching power are certain to make The Names a modern classic.