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A Gap In The Sky
When Ida buys a remote lighthouse cottage on a Scottish island, she imagines a refuge for herself and her six-year-old daughter, Lenka. After years of slipping away—from Amsterdam, Shanghai, London—whenever life grew too tangled, she longs for stillness.
The cottage has been empty for years and requires an extensive renovation. One of the bedrooms has a hole in the roof and an unexpected resident, an owl. The islanders welcome her with warmth and curiosity, and slowly Ida begins to believe she might have found her place. But peace has a way of unearthing what we’d rather forget. In Shanghai, she once trained painters to forge Van Gogh, Cézanne and Monet; in London, she was drawn into an art smuggling affair that still shadows her and her daughter.
When Ida and Lenka befriend ninety-four-year-old Matilda, the past and future start to blur. And when Matilda and Lenka vanish one morning, setting off across the country in search of Lenka’s father, Ida’s world tilts from still life to road movie. Joined by Hector, a kind-hearted delivery man with secrets of his own, she’s forced to follow—through mishaps, strange coincidences, and moments of uneasy grace that suggest the universe might, after all, know what it’s doing.
A Gap in the Sky is a story about art, forgiveness, love and loss, and the delicate ways we learn to stay open to life’s unpredictability. It’s about finding home not in certainty, but in connection—and how even grief can shimmer with light.
The cottage has been empty for years and requires an extensive renovation. One of the bedrooms has a hole in the roof and an unexpected resident, an owl. The islanders welcome her with warmth and curiosity, and slowly Ida begins to believe she might have found her place. But peace has a way of unearthing what we’d rather forget. In Shanghai, she once trained painters to forge Van Gogh, Cézanne and Monet; in London, she was drawn into an art smuggling affair that still shadows her and her daughter.
When Ida and Lenka befriend ninety-four-year-old Matilda, the past and future start to blur. And when Matilda and Lenka vanish one morning, setting off across the country in search of Lenka’s father, Ida’s world tilts from still life to road movie. Joined by Hector, a kind-hearted delivery man with secrets of his own, she’s forced to follow—through mishaps, strange coincidences, and moments of uneasy grace that suggest the universe might, after all, know what it’s doing.
A Gap in the Sky is a story about art, forgiveness, love and loss, and the delicate ways we learn to stay open to life’s unpredictability. It’s about finding home not in certainty, but in connection—and how even grief can shimmer with light.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 8, 2025
About the author
Asia Wieloch
1 book12 followersAsia Wieloch was born in Poland, is a Dutch national living in the UK. She writes literary fiction inspired by neuroscience, quantum physics, memory, and the subtle collisions between the inner and outer worlds.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 1, 2026
I wrote this, so I won’t pretend to be objective. Make of it what you will.
June 11, 2026
I read this for a challenge prompt “ a book related to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh “. I saw that someone in the book club chat had picked this and the library had it. It’s not about a specific painting but a woman who paints copies of them for a shady character in China. The book is set on a Hebridean island (which I love). The overall story was good. A couple problems I had with it was that at times it felt a bit YA and the main character annoyed me a lot of the time. Other than that I was entertained.
April 5, 2026
Sometimes, the best stories are the ones that don’t rush. They take their time to show us the quiet moments, the small details, and the feelings that often go unnoticed. A Gap In The Sky is one of those stories. It’s gentle, honest, and full of little truths about life, love, and what it really means to find your place.
At the heart of the story is Ida, a woman who’s been running from her past for years. She’s lived in big cities like Amsterdam, Shanghai, and London—places full of noise, chaos, and memories she’d rather forget. Now, she’s bought a small lighthouse cottage on a quiet Scottish island, hoping to find some peace for herself and her young daughter, Lenka. The island feels like a different world—rough, beautiful, and full of surprises, like the owl that suddenly appears in one of the rooms. The locals are kind and curious, and as Ida begins to settle in, it starts to seem like maybe she’s found a place where she can finally breathe.
What makes this book special is how honestly it talks about the ups and downs of life. Ida’s past is full of secrets—she used to be involved in art forgery in Shanghai, and in London, she was caught up in a shady art smuggling affair. These shadows follow her, quietly reminding us that everyone has parts of themselves they wish they could forget. The story doesn’t shy away from these darker moments but shows how they shape Ida and her journey toward forgiveness and understanding.
The way the story is told is slow and thoughtful, giving space for the reader to feel and think. The author moves between different times—what happened in the past and what’s happening now—without rushing. This helps us understand Ida better, seeing how her past and present are connected. The themes of love, loss, and forgiveness come through in small, meaningful ways. Her bond with Lenka feels real and tender, and her friendship with a wise old woman named Matilda adds a layer of warmth and depth. When Matilda and Lenka go missing one day, it’s a turning point that takes the story into new territory—an unexpected adventure that shows how life can change in an instant.
What I appreciated most is how the book shows that life isn’t about having everything figured out. Sometimes, the things that scare us or hurt us the most can lead to growth and new beginnings. The journey Ida takes with Hector, a kind delivery man with secrets of his own, reminds us that kindness and connection can be found in the most unlikely places.
The tone of the book is respectful and gentle. The author seems to understand that everyone carries wounds and hopes, and that life’s surprises can be both difficult and beautiful. The story invites us to be open to what we don’t understand and to trust that, even in tough times, there’s a kind of light waiting to shine through.
Reading A Gap In The Sky felt like sitting with a good friend who listens carefully and shares quiet wisdom. It’s a book about finding a sense of home—not in perfect places or perfect moments, but in the connections we make and the hope we hold onto. It reminds us that even grief can carry a spark of light if we’re willing to look for it.
This isn’t a story that gives quick answers or easy solutions. Instead, it’s a gentle reminder that life’s most precious moments often happen when we least expect them. It’s about how we learn to stay open, even when things seem uncertain, and how in that openness, we might just find what we’ve been searching for all along.
At the heart of the story is Ida, a woman who’s been running from her past for years. She’s lived in big cities like Amsterdam, Shanghai, and London—places full of noise, chaos, and memories she’d rather forget. Now, she’s bought a small lighthouse cottage on a quiet Scottish island, hoping to find some peace for herself and her young daughter, Lenka. The island feels like a different world—rough, beautiful, and full of surprises, like the owl that suddenly appears in one of the rooms. The locals are kind and curious, and as Ida begins to settle in, it starts to seem like maybe she’s found a place where she can finally breathe.
What makes this book special is how honestly it talks about the ups and downs of life. Ida’s past is full of secrets—she used to be involved in art forgery in Shanghai, and in London, she was caught up in a shady art smuggling affair. These shadows follow her, quietly reminding us that everyone has parts of themselves they wish they could forget. The story doesn’t shy away from these darker moments but shows how they shape Ida and her journey toward forgiveness and understanding.
The way the story is told is slow and thoughtful, giving space for the reader to feel and think. The author moves between different times—what happened in the past and what’s happening now—without rushing. This helps us understand Ida better, seeing how her past and present are connected. The themes of love, loss, and forgiveness come through in small, meaningful ways. Her bond with Lenka feels real and tender, and her friendship with a wise old woman named Matilda adds a layer of warmth and depth. When Matilda and Lenka go missing one day, it’s a turning point that takes the story into new territory—an unexpected adventure that shows how life can change in an instant.
What I appreciated most is how the book shows that life isn’t about having everything figured out. Sometimes, the things that scare us or hurt us the most can lead to growth and new beginnings. The journey Ida takes with Hector, a kind delivery man with secrets of his own, reminds us that kindness and connection can be found in the most unlikely places.
The tone of the book is respectful and gentle. The author seems to understand that everyone carries wounds and hopes, and that life’s surprises can be both difficult and beautiful. The story invites us to be open to what we don’t understand and to trust that, even in tough times, there’s a kind of light waiting to shine through.
Reading A Gap In The Sky felt like sitting with a good friend who listens carefully and shares quiet wisdom. It’s a book about finding a sense of home—not in perfect places or perfect moments, but in the connections we make and the hope we hold onto. It reminds us that even grief can carry a spark of light if we’re willing to look for it.
This isn’t a story that gives quick answers or easy solutions. Instead, it’s a gentle reminder that life’s most precious moments often happen when we least expect them. It’s about how we learn to stay open, even when things seem uncertain, and how in that openness, we might just find what we’ve been searching for all along.
December 5, 2025
I bought this book after attending an inspiring talk by the author. Having now read the book, I can honestly say that it has more than exceeded my expectations. There are many complex themes running throughout the book, such as love, crime, isolation; but ultimately the book is about human relationships and how they intersect across the life space. Whether that be the relationship between a mother and child, a romantic relationship or the complexities of aging and social interaction.
One criticism of the work may be that it does not fit neatly into any one particular genre; however that equally plays to its strength. In my view, the text invites engagement on several interpretive levels, from the straightforward to the more complex, which broadens its appeal to a diverse readership. It really is a masterpiece and one that I struggled to put down.
I thoroughly recommend this work to other readers.
One criticism of the work may be that it does not fit neatly into any one particular genre; however that equally plays to its strength. In my view, the text invites engagement on several interpretive levels, from the straightforward to the more complex, which broadens its appeal to a diverse readership. It really is a masterpiece and one that I struggled to put down.
I thoroughly recommend this work to other readers.
December 3, 2025
It is a very well written book. All the characters in the book are normal people but yet they are all very special . It is an adventure book and it makes to want to you read the next page constantly, you can’t stop until you finish . I recommend it highly for that embraces life and love.
January 7, 2026
An emotionally intelligent novel with an immersive plot. Witty, addicitive and constantly suprising, the characters feel so real you want them as friends!
June 12, 2026
It started out sooo good but it seems the author got tired of writing the ending 😭😭
February 1, 2026
This might be my favourite book this year, and it will also be one of the best books I’ve ever read.
It’s a beautifully crafted story about art, art forgery, the meaning we attribute to objects, memories, and so much more. I liked the alternating perspectives and the way the book was narrated, as well as the emotional depth. The prose was brilliant, and there were so many sentences I wanted to underline and reread. I loved the dialogue, full of wit, meaning, and wisdom.
And the characters… wow! The author has a real gift when it comes to creating real, complex characters. She crafted unique personalities, where their choices fitted perfectly with their traits.
In short, this story has action, tenderness, and wisdom, and poses a couple of questions that will stay with the reader long after the very last page.
It’s a beautifully crafted story about art, art forgery, the meaning we attribute to objects, memories, and so much more. I liked the alternating perspectives and the way the book was narrated, as well as the emotional depth. The prose was brilliant, and there were so many sentences I wanted to underline and reread. I loved the dialogue, full of wit, meaning, and wisdom.
And the characters… wow! The author has a real gift when it comes to creating real, complex characters. She crafted unique personalities, where their choices fitted perfectly with their traits.
In short, this story has action, tenderness, and wisdom, and poses a couple of questions that will stay with the reader long after the very last page.
February 17, 2026
The writing is very simple and often repetitive, which makes the prose feel flat rather than engaging. The characters remain one-dimensional and lack emotional depth, making it hard to connect with them. The plot is predictable and doesn’t offer much tension or complexity. Overall, the book feels underdeveloped and lacks nuance.
January 20, 2026
Rarely do I stumble upon a book that grips me from the very first sentence, one I literally cannot put down until the last page. But this is such a book!
Beautifully written and deeply engaging, it is narrated by three different characters, each struggling with their own challenges, each with a distinct and compelling voice. The book is witty and lightly humorous, yet also profound – a rare and wonderful combination.
What especially drew me in was how clearly the story shows the way we create our own reality by believing our thoughts are real. A Gap in the Sky gently but persistently challenges that assumption. The characters face situations that help them recognise a simple but unsettling truth: what they believe is often just an assumption, and not necessarily true.
A child struggling with nightmares realises that the monster she fears is not real, and this realisation changes everything. It gives her strength, trust, and a kind of faith in the goodness of the universe that borders on naivety, but feels quietly powerful. The same question echoes through the story of Matilda, slipping into dementia as she approaches the end of her life. She asks: How do I know what is real, when reality itself is slipping through my fingers, when days and nights blur together like tea with milk?
The book asks important questions about the nature of reality, about thoughts, feelings, and the choices we make, but it does so gently, without heaviness, laced with humour. (It made me both laugh and cry.)
If you read beyond the surface, the story offers a deeply human insight: challenges are an unavoidable part of life. Our attempts to avoid them, deny them, or bury unresolved pain (like Ida hiding behind painting replicas of van Gogh, or avoiding confrontation with her daughter’s father don’t make them disappear). How we respond to challenges is part of living, part of growing, and ultimately shapes the happiness we are capable of.
Beautifully written and deeply engaging, it is narrated by three different characters, each struggling with their own challenges, each with a distinct and compelling voice. The book is witty and lightly humorous, yet also profound – a rare and wonderful combination.
What especially drew me in was how clearly the story shows the way we create our own reality by believing our thoughts are real. A Gap in the Sky gently but persistently challenges that assumption. The characters face situations that help them recognise a simple but unsettling truth: what they believe is often just an assumption, and not necessarily true.
A child struggling with nightmares realises that the monster she fears is not real, and this realisation changes everything. It gives her strength, trust, and a kind of faith in the goodness of the universe that borders on naivety, but feels quietly powerful. The same question echoes through the story of Matilda, slipping into dementia as she approaches the end of her life. She asks: How do I know what is real, when reality itself is slipping through my fingers, when days and nights blur together like tea with milk?
The book asks important questions about the nature of reality, about thoughts, feelings, and the choices we make, but it does so gently, without heaviness, laced with humour. (It made me both laugh and cry.)
If you read beyond the surface, the story offers a deeply human insight: challenges are an unavoidable part of life. Our attempts to avoid them, deny them, or bury unresolved pain (like Ida hiding behind painting replicas of van Gogh, or avoiding confrontation with her daughter’s father don’t make them disappear). How we respond to challenges is part of living, part of growing, and ultimately shapes the happiness we are capable of.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews