Luke Allnutt

Decently written contemporary fiction about a family dealing with illness, suffering, and grief. It is set in England in the 2000’s. I can’t say too much about the plot without spoilers. Several of the descriptive passages, especially of the photographic settings, were quite eloquent. I also found it engrossing in places. The author does a good job of showing the impact of grave illness on a family.

In my opinion, the book summary, which I assume is provided by the publisher, is misleading. It states this book is “a tender, heartrending, but ultimately life-affirming novel that will resonate deeply with anyone who has suffered loss.” Personally, I did not find it “life-affirming” at all and think many people who have experienced loss will be upset by this book, as I was. It stacks one episode of misery on top of the next. I have a reasonably high tolerance for sadness, but I found this book extremely depressing.

Numerous people liked this book, but unfortunately, I was not one of them. Since this is a debut, I would be willing to read another work by this author, especially if the subject matter is not as tragic.… (more)

4.5 stars.

We Own the Sky by Luke Allnut is a poignant novel about a family's devastating health diagnosis.

Rob and Anna Coates are happily married with a delightful young son, Jack. Rob is a computer programmer who works from home and takes care of Jack. Anna works in finance and while she loves Jack, she is more structured than fun-loving Rob. Jack is delightful little boy who is a bit of a miracle child since Rob and Anna suffered a couple of miscarriages before Jack's birth. Rob and Anna's happy life comes to crashing halt following a stunning health crisis which tests the bonds of their marriage.

Unsurprisingly, Rob and Anna react very differently to the health crisis and its aftermath. Rob wants to try anything possible whereas Anna is more pragmatic and relies on conventional medicine. Rob's insistence in going through with unproven and possibly dangerous treatment puts them at odds especially since Anna is resigned to the ultimate outcome when they are out of treatment options.

The differences in their personalities also leads to completely opposite ways of coping with this unexpected crisis. Anna is rather stoic and relies on keeping busy to deal with adversity. Rob turns to alcohol to cope and this is what ultimately drives them apart. With the passage of time, will Rob give up his dependence of alcohol to numb his emotions?

Written from Rob's perspective, We Own the Sky by Luke Allnut is an emotionally compelling novel that is absolutely captivating. The characters are fully developed with all too human frailties and their varying reactions to a crushing blow ring true. An outstanding debut, this deeply affecting novel is sure to touch readers' hearts and will linger in their minds long after the last page is turned.
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What started out as a confusing yet curious story, turned into something so much more. Here we have two people coming together and creating a life, both for themselves and a combination of themselves, only to have their worlds turned upside down in so many ways. Rob and Anna only want what's best for their little man (Jack); after all he's the apple of his father's eye and the beat within his mother's heart. Sometimes though, love for someone just isn't enough. There are things that happen, circumstances that change, genes that hit or miss and create a problem no amount of love can wish away...but the moments captured, the memories made, the time spent in each other's company, and the love given freely without limits aid in creating something to hold on to even after the last breath has been taken.

I won't lie. This story had me in tears at least three times and they may not be in all the places you might expect. First time, the school fair when Jack was in the bouncy house with his friends. Martin, Tony, and Emil were such stand up lads, it touched my heart and I know it made the world of difference to our Jack. Hey, kids can be blunt, mean even, but these guys were worth their weight in gold. Second time, when Rob was falling apart at the seams and contemplating an end to it all. Whether serious or simply a passing thought briefly held by a drunkard, the sheer weight of his heartbreak was evident in his words, his actions, and even his non-actions. If one could reach through the page and pluck someone from the brink, you'd want to. He wasn't perfect, but he tried with the best intentions. Third time, near the end...and I'm not talking about a person's end, either. I mean story's end, but this time it was because it was heart warming and after all the sadness and despair, we could see the other side. It may not have been the happiness we dreamed possible, but it was better than the sorrow we were lost in.

In short, it was a wonderfully mesmerizing story of life, love, loss, and the potential to heal. It reminded us that not all those who do evil intend to, nor are all those that seem good actually true to form. We all make mistakes, some can't be taken back, but every day is a new day and should be treasured like the "present" it is, for we never know just how many we have left for not only ourselves, but with those we love.


**copy received for review
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What can I say? This gorgeous, beautiful book left me in floods of tears, in fact it had me in tears more than once whilst I was reading it. This sort of book can go either way, I think. It can be overly emotional, cloying even, or it can just completely hit the spot. No prizes for guessing which applies to me.

From the outset I loved Rob and Anna. They meet whilst they are students and from the very beginning they are the perfect fit for each other. Whilst Rob is easy-going, Anna is more straight as a dye, but they complement each other perfectly. When Jack comes along their family is complete. Of course, we know from the blurb that they're not going to be left to live happily ever after. Jack becomes seriously ill and Rob and Anna's world falls apart.

Parent or not, it's not hard to put yourself in their place. Their hope and their desperation is tangible and utterly heartbreaking. It's hard to witness and I felt such empathy for them, I really cared about them. Jack is wonderful too, a special little boy and I so wished for a miracle, for that happy outcome.

Luke Allnutt writes about the subject matter perfectly and, after sobbing over his acknowledgements, it's clear that some of it comes from personal experience and some from simply a fantastic writing skill.

There's a strong theme of fathers and sons in this book, with Rob and Jack, but also with Rob and his own father. Rob tells the story and it's very much Rob's book really, but I was still able to see the other characters' perspectives, particularly Anna in trying to be the more steadying influence, whilst Rob is the one who becomes almost frantic in his search for treatment for Jack.

This is such an emotive, stunning read in every way. I loved the story of Rob and Anna's life together before they had Jack, and their life with him. I loved Rob's relationship with his father, his photography, his computer coding. It all worked so well as a whole and made this a completely gripping book that I didn't want to put down.

If you come out of this one unscathed then you must have a rock for a heart, that's all I can say. It's superb.… (more)