When James meets Luke, everything changes – an exhilarating tale of hidden desire and sudden freedom in the wild countryside.

THE INSTANT TOP 10 IRISH BESTSELLER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2026

‘An achingly beautiful story of first love’ GUARDIAN
‘Superb… Transcendent’ SARAH PERRY
‘Beautifully written, deeply felt’ MICHAEL MAGEE
‘Heart-rending… Propulsive’ FINANCIAL TIMES

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?

*A Book of the Year for the Guardian, Observer, Irish Times and BBC*

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

‘Desire, yearning, fear… Intensely vivid’ IRISH TIMES

‘Gorgeous… Piercing, intimate and euphoric’ COLIN WALSH

‘Seán Hewitt is the real deal’ BENJAMIN MYERS

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

"An achingly beautiful story of first love in the English countryside . . . Lyrical, atmospheric and transporting" - Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2025*

"Heart-rending . . . sensuous and decadent" - Financial Times

"A mature and complete debut novel . . . The central relationship occurs by light, sensitive touch, and reaches arresting emotional depths" - New Statesman

"A luminous portrayal of two teenagers bonding with each other over one heady, transformative year" - Waterstones