Buckeye is a very well written character driven novel spanning six decades in the lives of the main characters, Cal and Becky and Felix and Margaret. Cal Jenkins, born in Bonhomie, Ohio in 1920, has one leg shorter than the other so he is unable to sign up for the military. He has a sad childhood as his two siblings die of childhood illnesses and his mother also dies when he is 9. It’s just Cal and his father, Everett, who is a hoarder and alcoholic. Cal leaves home when he turns 18. He meets Becky whose father is a businessman and runs several businesses in town. Cal and Becky fall in love but Becky’s father, Roman, is none too keen of her choice of husband. Becky has a gift of being able to communicate with the dead which causes a lot of friction between her and Cal. Margaret Anderson is a foundling who was left at an orphanage in Doyle, Ohio in 1918 when she was about 8 months old. She is fostered out a few times but mostly lives at the home with Lydia, the manager, until she moves to Columbus at 18 to start a new life and job. In Columbus she meets Felix Salt who is she falls in love with but he is not overly interested in the physical side of their lives once they marry. The story progresses through the USA entering WW2 after Pearl Harbour is attacked in December 1941 and then later on through the Vietnam War and the implications that had on US citizens. There is much intertwining of the two couples and their families. I enjoyed it very much but did keep hoping for some happiness in all their lives. It is a great story though and one that will stay with me for a long time. The author’s writing brings to life the characters and times they are living in vividly. With thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love novels that dive into family entanglements, and Buckeye does this with depth and heart. Set in post-war America, it unravels how brief moments of passion during WWII ripple through generations, shaping lives in unexpected ways. Sweeping in scope yet intimate in detail, it blends history and family drama into a story that feels both relatable and unforgettable.

What can I say about Buckeye? Well, hopefully enough to convince you to pick it up after reading this review. In small town Bonhomie two people are drawn together in a passionate moment that changes everything. The reader then dives back in time to see how we got to this moment and the domino effect of this event. If you’re looking for a richly developed, character-driven story, then stop reading this and start reading Buckeye. It’s full of complex characters and an empathetic and masterful narrative style that gives the reader full exposure to the characters’ lives. This book will make you laugh and make you cry, I’ve not had a book take me on a rollercoaster of emotions since The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. Perfect for fans of slice-of-life American novels (Elizabeth Strout, Ann Patchett, Anne Tyler, Jonathan Franzen) Buckeye is one of those books that I know will be cherished for years to come. Read it because this will be big!

Buckeye is a sweeping yet intimate family saga set in the small Ohio town of Bonhomie, beginning in the aftermath of the Second World War and spanning decades of love, loss and secrets. The story begins with Cal Jenkins, a man unable to serve in the war due to a physical condition, and Margaret Salt, whose husband Felix is away on a Navy ship. A fleeting moment of passion between them sparks a secret that ripples across generations, entangling their families in ways neither could have foreseen. Patrick Ryan brings Bonhomie vividly to life, capturing the nuances of small-town life where nothing stays hidden for long. The characters are richly drawn, from Becky, Cal’s wife with her spiritual gift of communicating with the dead, to Margaret, shaped by her orphaned past and uncertain marriage. As the narrative moves forward twenty-five years into the turbulence of the Vietnam era, the consequences of that one encounter echo powerfully, altering the course of both families. The writing is tender, evocative and steeped in historical detail, weaving together themes of love, longing, identity and resilience. Ryan balances the universal and the particular, using the intimacy of two families to reflect broader American experiences of postwar change and generational conflict. This is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant book, perfect for readers who enjoy multi-generational stories filled with history, heart and the weight of long-held secrets. Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This novel just pulls you in. A fabulously written character driven novel set in small town America from the 1940s-70s.