Jenny Downham is one of our foremost writers for young adults, winning national and international awards with her extraordinary debut, Before I Die, also becoming an Hollywood blockbuster, and now she here she is with another debut! This time as a coauthor for the first time with a novel which began as a lockdown writing challenge with her actor and playwright son, Louis Hill.
Together they have written an unforgettable and deeply moving novel about siblings Leah and Charlie, with each taking on one of the narrative voices. Both are trying to cope, in their very different ways, with the aftermath of the untimely death of their father from cancer. Leah is bearing the weight of familial responsibility since their mother collapsed into deep depression, unable to work and often unable even to leave her bed. The family were forced into eviction and rehousing and live a hand to mouth existence in deep poverty.
Leah is academically gifted with a bright university future ahead but doesn’t know how she could escape her responsibilities and has found the ultimate escape in a secret relationship with Alex, an older, married art gallery owner. Charlie is suffering real mental health issues which have caused him to self-isolate from his friends. Art is his escape and where he can confront his feelings about his Dad, but these drawings are secret too, for fear of adding to his sister’s burden or his mother’s depression.
The intensity of Leah’s passion for Alex and how Charlie can lose himself in his art is brilliantly evoked. The light in all their lives is their 7 year old sister Abby and her unquashable zest for life, despite everything. Perceptive and hilarious, Abby is often the catalyst for change as their secrets collide in ways which will change all their lives completely.
The way each alternating narrative builds up the back story and progresses the plot is stunningly well crafted. All the supporting characters, even the bad guys, are nuanced and credible. This compelling, sensitive novel is ultimately and very realistically hopeful, demonstrating how family, friends and community can pull you through the worst of times. Powerful, relatable and thought provoking, this is a story with profound impact and staying power.
Join LoveReading4Kids Editorial Expert Joy Court and LoveReading4Kids Ambassador Sophie Hall in conversation with authors Jenny Downham and Louis Hill.
Leah and Charlie are handling their family's loss in very different ways.
Leah’s found someone who makes her feel like a goddess. The downside is their relationship has to stay secret – but love is worth a few sacrifices, right?
For Charlie, security seems in his grasp when he gets an offer he can’t resist. Just a bit of extra money can surely solve so many of his problems . . .
When these seemingly unconnected paths collide, the shockwaves have a vaster impact than Leah or Charlie could’ve ever imagined.
This astounding, compulsive novel explores love, power, money, art, and asks: what really matters in the end?
An extraordinary novel by an exceptional mother-and-son team. This is a searing, powerful, ultimately uplifting exploration of journeying through grief.
'An extraordinary book, tenderly told. There is so much loss, beauty, hope and care in its pages. I read it all at once, but it will stay with me for a very long time to come’ - Katya Balen
‘A nuanced, compelling and ultimately hopeful story of flawed relationships, family grief and the power of art, all with characters I could swear I’ve met in real life!’ - Patrice Lawrence
‘Terrific’ - Sarah Crossan
Author
About Jenny Downham, Louis Hill
Jenny Downham's first novel, Before I Die, is an international bestseller. It won the Branford Boase Award, the Australian Silver Inky Award for best international novel, was shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and was made into the blockbuster film, Now Is Good. Jenny's second book, You Against Me, won the inaugural Waterstones Teenage Book Prize, and her third novel, Unbecoming, was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize and won the Stonewall Honor Award from the American Library Association. Her fourth novel, Furious Thing, was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize and the Costa Book Awards.
Louis Hill is a writer and actor. As an actor, his credits include a wide variety of stage, screen and voiceover work. As a writer, he has written a number of plays and short films including his one-man show, Love & Tigers, which opened to sell out audiences and 5-star reviews for a limited run at the Hen and Chickens theatre. His short stories have been featured in a number of publications and have placed in several competitions. Let the Light In is his debut novel.
