Open, Heaven - Sean Hewitt

TWO BOYS MEET. EVERYTHING CHANGES.

‘An exquisite tale of first love’ SARAH PERRY, GUARDIAN
‘Heart-rending… Propulsive’ FINANCIAL TIMES
‘Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace’ ANNE ENRIGHT
‘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 Guardian, Irish Times and BBC Book for 2025 *

‘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

‘A gorgeous ache of a novel’
COLIN WALSH

‘Seán Hewitt is the real deal’
BENJAMIN MYERS

‘It’s a novel about us’
KAVEH AKBAR

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 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

Se n Hewitt is the real deal BENJAMIN MYERS

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