BOOKCLUB NOTES: Open, Heaven by Sean Hewitt

THE BOOK: This was an interesting chat, with mixed feelings!! We agree that Sean is a talented writer - with moments of real magic. Whether it be through his descriptions of the landscape, or tender moments between characters - there are beautiful moments in this book. 

On the other hand, we were left wanting a little more - the book follows a year in the life of a boy as he experiences his first intoxicating crush, we see his intense longing and yearning for another boy, but this could have hit harder if we had more reflection from the characters. We thought it lacked emotional punch and was slow at times.

Despite this, the writing showed us that love can come in many forms, with different meanings and it can serve us in ways we didn’t expect. We scored it 3.3 stars ⭐️

THE WINES: We drank Souaf! Souaf! 2024 from Jeff Coutelou — a joyful, spontaneously fermented blend of Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Muscat from the Languedoc. Jeff has spoken about his own experience of homophobia and of being made to feel like an outsider in the winemaking world, mirroring James’ experiences in the book. The name itself — “souaf,” meaning thirsty — carries that same appetite for life and connection that runs throughout James’ and Luke’s summer.

Our next pairing was Bacchus 2024 from Ham Street, an English wine for an English coming-of-age story. The label and the elderflower notes remind us of the softened, hedgerow warmth that runs through Hewitt’s descriptions of Thornmere’s fields and farmland across the seasons. With only 656 bottles produced, there’s something fitting in drinking something so small and unrepeatable alongside a novel about a single, singular summer that can never be returned to, only remembered.