Open, Heaven

About the book

Set in the English countryside, Open, Heaven unfolds over the course of one year as two teenage boys meet and transform each other’s lives.

* A Guardian, Irish Times and BBC Book for 2025 *

‘Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace’ ANNE ENRIGHT

‘A gorgeous ache of a novel’ COLIN WALSH

On the cusp of adulthood, James dreams of another life far away from his small village. As he contends with the expectations of his family, his burgeoning desire – an ache for autonomy, tenderness and sex – threatens to unravel his shy exterior.

Then he meets Luke. Unkempt and handsome, charismatic and impulsive, he has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm. Luke comes with a reputation for danger, but underneath his bravado lie anxieties and hopes of his own.

With the passing seasons, the two teenagers grow closer and the bond that emerges between them transforms their lives. James falls deeply for Luke, yet he is never sure of Luke’s true feelings. And as the end of summer nears, he has a choice to make – will he risk everything for the possibility of love?

‘A beautiful novel about how a first love can shape a whole life’
HELEN MACDONALD

‘Open, Heaven does what the very best coming-of-age stories do’
MICHAEL MAGEE

‘God’s Own Country meets Heartstopper… People will love it’
BRANDON TAYLOR

‘Seán Hewitt is the real deal’
BENJAMIN MYERS

‘It’s a novel about us’
KAVEH AKBAR