Open, Heaven

TWO BOYS MEET. EVERYTHING CHANGES.
THE INSTANT IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER

'An exquisite tale of first love' SARAH PERRY, GUARDIAN
'Heart-rending. . . Propulsive' FINANCIAL TIMES
'God's Own Country meets Heartstopper' BRANDON TAYLOR
'I loved it. . . Beautiful' FERDIA LENNON

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 Best Summer Read for the Guardian, New Statesman, Esquire, Dazed, Washington Post and more *
* A Guardian, Irish Times and BBC Book for 2025 *

READERS LOVE OPEN, HEAVEN
'My favourite book of the year'
'Gorgeous. I was completely transported'
'The intoxicating rush of first love. Five stars!'
'Breathtakingly beautiful. A story that stays with you'
'Heart-breaking but also triumphant. A must-read'
'The most truthful novel about love
that I have read in a long time'

'It made my heart hurt in the best ways' HELEN MACDONALD

'Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace' ANNE ENRIGHT

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

'A gorgeous ache of a novel' COLIN WALSH

'Seán Hewitt is the real deal' BENJAMIN MYERS

Open, Heaven was an Irish top ten bestseller w/c 28 April 2025