The Names
Dazzling ... The novel is really a profound, deeply compassionate examination of domestic abuse ... Despite its bleak setup, The Names is startlingly joyful and paced like a thriller. I raced through it and immediately read it again ... A knowledgeable crafter who’s penned books and articles on quilting, sewing and English paper piecing, Knapp brings an eye for precise detail to her descriptions of domestic spaces and the natural world ... Knapp tirelessly and beautifully replicates not just loss and grief but endless rebirth and delight.
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The sort of novel that’s bound to create discussion about the events happening, what they mean and how they relate to one another. It has an ending that’s definitive but also leaves plenty of room for interpretation. And it is guaranteed to make readers reflect about their own lives ... Knapp [has a] gift for insightful, homespun metaphors ... A simple, seemingly unadorned style but insights...pop up frequently. Her choices reassure us that she understands people, which helps The Names transcend a premise that could come off as gimmicky.
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A compelling novel that fills one with an actual physical sense of dread, from the first words on the first page, and yet also offers glimpses of whimsy, beauty, and love ... Achieves this balance, highlighting the warmth and wonder of human existence, while weaving a tale of tragedies, ordinary and extraordinary, that befall its characters ... Inventive ... One source of this book’s power is Knapp’s adept use of surprise and suspense.
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