Open, Heaven
Published on 2. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-5299-3524-0 (ISBN)
Description
When James meets Luke, everything changes - an exhilarating tale of hidden desire and sudden freedom in the wild countryside.
A GUARDIAN BEST SUMMER READ
THE INSTANT TOP 10 IRISH BESTSELLER
'An achingly beautiful story of first love' GUARDIAN
'Gorgeous... I promise it's amazing!' JACK EDWARDS
'An exquisite tale... Superb' SARAH PERRY
James dreams of another life far away from his small village. Almost an adult, his newfound desires threaten to unravel his shy exterior. Then he meets Luke. Unkempt and handsome, charismatic and impulsive, he has been sent to stay with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm.
With the passing seasons, a bond emerges between them that transforms their lives. Yet James 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?
*Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2026*
*A Book of the Year for the Guardian, Observer, Irish Times and BBC*
READERS HAVE FALLEN FOR OPEN, HEAVEN
'I adored every single moment of this phenomenal book'
'The intoxicating rush of first love. Five stars!'
'Gorgeous. I was completely transported'
'Breathtakingly beautiful. A story that stays with you'
'Heart-breaking but also triumphant. A must-read'
'It made my heart hurt in the best ways' HELEN MACDONALD
'Sean Hewitt is the real deal' BENJAMIN MYERS
'Beautifully written, deeply felt' MICHAEL MAGEE
'Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace' ANNE ENRIGHT
'Heart-rending... Propulsive' FT
'Gorgeous...intimate and euphoric' COLIN WALSH
Open, Heaven was an Irish top ten bestseller w/c 28 April 2025
A GUARDIAN BEST SUMMER READ
THE INSTANT TOP 10 IRISH BESTSELLER
'An achingly beautiful story of first love' GUARDIAN
'Gorgeous... I promise it's amazing!' JACK EDWARDS
'An exquisite tale... Superb' SARAH PERRY
James dreams of another life far away from his small village. Almost an adult, his newfound desires threaten to unravel his shy exterior. Then he meets Luke. Unkempt and handsome, charismatic and impulsive, he has been sent to stay with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm.
With the passing seasons, a bond emerges between them that transforms their lives. Yet James 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?
*Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2026*
*A Book of the Year for the Guardian, Observer, Irish Times and BBC*
READERS HAVE FALLEN FOR OPEN, HEAVEN
'I adored every single moment of this phenomenal book'
'The intoxicating rush of first love. Five stars!'
'Gorgeous. I was completely transported'
'Breathtakingly beautiful. A story that stays with you'
'Heart-breaking but also triumphant. A must-read'
'It made my heart hurt in the best ways' HELEN MACDONALD
'Sean Hewitt is the real deal' BENJAMIN MYERS
'Beautifully written, deeply felt' MICHAEL MAGEE
'Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace' ANNE ENRIGHT
'Heart-rending... Propulsive' FT
'Gorgeous...intimate and euphoric' COLIN WALSH
Open, Heaven was an Irish top ten bestseller w/c 28 April 2025
Reviews / Votes
An achingly beautiful story of first love in the English countryside . . . Lyrical, atmospheric and transporting * Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2025* * Hewitt is superb in his loving and acute descriptions of the natural world -- SARAH PERRY A gorgeous debut novel about an all-encompassing first love... I promise it's amazing! -- Jack Edwards @jack_edwards Heart-rending . . . sensuous and decadent * Financial Times * A beautiful, lyrical and tender novel of youthful passion and the longing for connection -- FERDIA LENNON, author of Glorious Exploits A beautiful novel about how a first love can shape a whole life -- HELEN MACDONALD, author of H is for Hawk A mature and complete debut novel . . . The central relationship occurs by light, sensitive touch, and reaches arresting emotional depths * New Statesman * Blisses with the bright verdure of youth . . . It's a novel about us -- KAVEH AKBAR, author of Martyr! A gorgeous debut . . . a novel that thrums with hidden love and concealed truths -- ANDREW McMILLAN, author of Pity and Physical A luminous portrayal of two teenagers bonding with each other over one heady, transformative year * Waterstones *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
172 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5299-3524-0 (9781529935240)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Sean Hewitt
Open, Heaven
The heartbreaking and bestselling novel about how a first love can shape a whole life
E-Book
04/2025
Vintage Digital
€8.99
Available for download
Person
Sean Hewitt was born in 1990. He is the author of two poetry collections, Tongues of Fire and Rapture's Road, and a memoir, All Down Darkness Wide. He collaborated with the artist Luke Edward Hall on 300,000 Kisses: Tales of Queer Love from the Ancient World. Hewitt has received the Laurel Prize and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and been shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. He lectures at Trinity College Dublin and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.