We Own the Sky: A Novel

by Luke Allnutt

Overview

“Powerful, touching, and poignant, this family’s love story had me in tears.” —Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost

A triumphant story of a father and his little boy—and a love that knows no limits.

Rob Coates is a survivor.

He’d thought he’d won the lottery of life—a beautiful home, an incredible wife Anna, and their precious son Jack, who makes every day an extraordinary adventure. But when tragedy befalls his family, Rob becomes his own worst enemy, pushing away all he holds dear. With his world now suddenly just outside of his grasp, Rob turns to photography, capturing the beautiful skyscrapers and clifftops he used to visit—memories of the time when his family was happy. And just when it feels as though there’s nowhere left to turn, Rob embarks on the most unforgettable of journeys to reclaim the joy and love he thought he’d lost.

Deeply emotional, beautifully written, and filled with tremendous heart, We Own the Sky is a soaring debut about the strength of the human spirit and the boundlessness of love. It is a stunningly honest reminder of life’s greatest gifts, showing how even a broken heart can learn to beat again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780778307709
Publisher:	Park Row Books
Publication date:	02/05/2019
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Born in the U.K, Luke Allnutt is a writer and journalist based in the Czech Republic. He is married and has two young boys.

Editorial Reviews

Anyone who wishes David Nicholls would write faster needs to grab this with both hands. It's a truly stunning achievement.” —Jill Mansell, bestselling author of This Could Change Everything

“A brave and intense novel.” —Val Emmich, author of Dear Evan Hansen

“[T]ender and raw… as personal as a friend’s heartfelt admissions.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Funny, heartfelt and honest.” —Bookpage

"A heartbreak of a novel filled with love, sorrow, pain, and—ultimately—hope…. Powerful, touching, and poignant, this family's love story had me in tears." —Jill Santopolo, bestselling author of The Light We Lost

“[E]choes of David Mitchell, Jodi Picoult, and John Green.”—Grazia

“This heartbreaking story of a father’s love that defies all reason takes off on the first page and never touches down.” —Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean and Two If by Sea

"A breathtaking read that describes perfectly the joy and pain that comes with loving fully and all the compassion and forgiveness it requires. Brimming with hope to the very end." —Steven Rowley, bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus

“Gut-wrenching, powerful, and yes, you want to buy copies for friends because this is the kind of book you'll have to share.” —Caroline Leavitt, bestselling author of Pictures of You

“[An] emotional novel of love, loss, and hope…. Allnutt teaches us to cherish the simple things in life and that sometimes the only way to keep going is to share your story.” —Library Journal

“Heartrending.” —Booklist

“[A] beautiful, hugely emotional story. And while you’ll definitely need tissues, it’s the feeling of hope that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.” —The Sun

“A heartbreaking read about love and loss. Have your tissues handy.” —Bella Magazine

“Prepare to have your heart wrenched by this emotion-drenched story.” —Sunday Mirror

“There is a raw authenticity to this stunning novel.” —The People (UK)

“Just when you thought you’d put away the tissues, along comes a story of love, loss and hope to tough your heart.”—My Weekly

Heartbreaking and devastating and complicated, We Own the Sky offers something remarkable: light in the darkest dark and redemption where there ought to be none." —Laurie Frankel, bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is

“Beautifully rendered and profoundly moving, We Own the Sky illustrates the lengths we’ll go to for those we love. Luke Allnutt is a major new talent.” —Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Life and Other Near-Death Experiences

“A haunting, heartbreaking and human novel.” —Viola Shipman, bestselling author of The Charm Bracelet

“A gorgeously written, heart-wrenching novel.... Allnutt is a masterful storyteller.” —Lori Nelson Spielman, bestselling author of The Life List

“A visceral, heart-breaking portrait of a father.” —Jem Lester, author of Shtum

“This book will break your heart, but repair it too…. It made me hold my loved ones a little bit closer.” —Katie May, author of The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club

“Both movingly tender and unflinchingly honest, We Own the Sky is story that will stay with me.” —Isabel Ashdown, author of Little Sister

“We Own the Sky is a life-affirming yet heart-breaking wonder of a book about love in all its forms…. It is one of the most raw and honest novels I've read in a long time.” —Katie Marsh, author of My Everything

“Deeply affecting. A beautiful, remarkable book.” —Lucy Diamond, author of The Secrets of Happiness

“Utterly beautiful, heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting.” —Rachael Lucas, author of The State of Grace

“This book brims over with empathy…. Beautiful and irresistible.” —Clare Swatman, author of Before You Go

From the Publisher

★ 02/05/2018
This impressive debut from Allnutt doggedly recounts a young family’s tragedy. Between programmer Rob Coates’s relentless optimism, his auditor wife Anna’s knack for order, and their son Jack’s joyful demeanor, their life in London is happy and full of love. But when a tumor is found in Jack’s brain, the bonds of the marriage are tested. After Jack is given a year to live, Rob becomes intrigued by an experimental treatment he learns about from an online forum. Though Anna isn’t interested in pursuing it, Rob goes behind her back while she is away and takes Jack to the clinic in Prague. But the questionable treatments administered to Jack only worsen his health. As his marriage crumbles, Rob becomes determined to atone for his mistake by making sure no one else is hurt by the bogus clinic. Rob’s experience as a father of a child stricken with cancer is punishing, marked by a desperate belief that a cure is just around the corner, frustration with well-meant and poorly delivered sympathy, and renewed appreciation for the smallest comfort and kindness. The resulting story is tender and raw, spun in pragmatic prose as personal as a friend’s heartfelt admissions, with turns as unexpected as life itself. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

2018-02-06
A couple is torn apart by a child's cancer in Allnutt's debut.From the first chapters, readers know that something has gone seriously awry in the marriage of young upper-middle-class Brits Rob and Anna. Addled by vodka, Rob wakes up to discover that Anna and their young son, Jack, are gone. There follows an extended flashback detailing how this came about. The couple met while attending Cambridge, she in economics and he in computer science. Degreed, they soon settle down to a comfortable London life: She's an accountant; he has a lucrative contract with a startup. After two miscarriages, Anna and Rob are overjoyed at the birth of a son. As Jack grows, he bonds with stay-at-home dad Rob, whose career dilemmas, interposed at this point, do little to either advance the story or illuminate his character. Similarly, beyond the stereotypical attributes of her trade, we never learn much about Anna. At age 5, Jack is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Two specialists are consulted and surgery performed, affording provisional hope: A celebratory vacation in Crete ensues. But Jack has a relapse, and this time only palliative measures are possible. Rob consults Hope's Place, a social media forum, obsessively following "Nev," one poster whose son Josh had a similar malignancy. Josh is now in complete remission thanks to the ministrations of a Dr. Sladkovsky in Prague. Sladkovsky's clinic, though pricey, has purportedly worked miracles with "immuno-engineering." Suspecting snake oil and concerned about finances, Anna balks at this expedient. (The costs, if any, of Jack's U.K. treatment are never addressed, which U.S. readers might find disappointing.) When a family emergency calls Anna away, Rob, desperate that time is running out, spirits Jack to Prague. Sladkovsky's experimental protocols seem to be working—then an irate Anna arrives. In its depiction of ordinary people in dire circumstances, the book opts for uplifting messages over controversy. Sympathy for Allnutt's characters is de rigueur; unfortunately, they lack the depth to command it.Undeniably well-meaning but too circumspect in its approach.

Kirkus Reviews