Open, Heaven

Publisher: Penguin Random House
Publish date: 2 April 2026
Pages: 240
Binding: Paperback
Language: English

Subjects: Fiction, Literary, Romance, LGBTQ+, Gay, Coming of Age, Small Town & Rural, Friendship

Two boys meet, everything changes: a thrillingly beautiful and transporting story of first love in the English countryside. The instant Irish Times bestseller.

'An exquisite tale of first love' Sarah Perry, author of THE ESSEX SERPENT

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?

'It made my heart hurt in the best ways' Helen Macdonald, author of H IS FOR HAWK

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

'Beautifully written, deeply felt' Michael Magee, author of CLOSE TO HOME

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