Buckeye

Beautifully written. At least once each chapter I would re-read a sentence and read it aloud to my spouse just to hear the perfection of how the author expertly wove his words to knit a wonderfully poignant point or thought or important event in the story seemingly without effort. I am gobsmacked at the wordsmithery and characters in the story. Read it and you will love and enjoy it.

"Buckeye" offers a heartfelt snapshot of the lives of four individuals from the Greatest Generation. Cal, Becky, Margaret and Felix live the American experience during the 20s through the 70s -- including world wars, orphanhood, untimely death, spiritualism, misogyny, closeted homosexuality, infidelity, PTSD, parenthood, and a secret. This is a saga that's been told many times before (we didn't start the fire after all); the names, places, and details have changed. This is as much a story about an America that much like today doesn't always get it right.
The good: Very well-written with exceptional development of both main and secondary characters. I cared enough to celebrate, lament, become really frustrated with, and love them.
The not so good: While various scenes helped build the characters, some seemed superfluous; the book could have been 50 fewer pages and been better, in my opinion. After six chapters of listening to the audiobook version, I downloaded the Kindle book. I wasn't fond of the narrator's cadence or pacing, but most frustrating was his mispronunciation of Ohio places. The book is titled "Buckeye" after all.
This is not a feel-good story; it's a stay-with-you read about flawed people (all of us, really), but very, very much worth your time.

When this story ended, it took a small piece of my heart with it.
The book sounded intriguing, so during one of Ann Patchett’s weekly Instagram updates, when she said she was interviewing the author on 9/4/25, I made plans to head to Parnassus Books in Nashville. The event did not disappoint! Patchett and Ryan have been friends for decades (the book is dedicated to her and her husband) so the conversation was deep and personal and lovely to witness. (They taped it so perhaps it can be found online.) I learned so much about the back story and the motivation and got a small taste of the research Patrick did in order to write this gorgeous work. (The monkey was based on a monkey of the same name, in a similar situation.)
The story covers three generations, two families, the effects of three wars, a slew of secrets and what it means to live with those secrets. The people are flawed, their lives are messy—just like the rest of us—but they get through things, mostly, with love.
I found the characters to be multidimensional and I grew to love them. I also found the setting to be a character in itself, having spent most of my life in Dayton. And my husband is from Tiffin, so we could picture the area well, from the buckeye trees to the pawpaws and even the Midwestern culture that resonates throughout the novel.
Though the story was long, it moved and never felt like it dragged. I was sorry when it ended.
Ryan says he spent eight years on this work. I hope his next novel comes about a bit more quickly.

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan is a highly recommended multigenerational domestic drama and historical fiction novel which follows decades in the lives of two families.
In Bonhomie, Ohio, where they both grew up, Cal Jenkins marries Becky Hanover and takes a job managing her father’s hardware store. Due to having one leg shorter than the other Cal is unable to serve during WWII. Becky has the ability to communicate with those who have passed on and she conducts seances in her family's home to help others find closure. The two have a son, Cal Jr. who is nicknamed Skip.
In 1939 Felix, and Margaret Salt moved to Bonhomie for him to help manage the aluminum plant. Margaret is ashamed of her past and never shares the fact that she was an orphan, abandoned as an infant. Felix decides to enlist in the Navy and is assignment to a cargo ship in the Pacific. On VE day, Margaret and Cal meet and begin a short affair before Felix returns home from the war, wounded in more than one way. The two have a son named Tom.
This is an exceptionally well-written character driven novel which follows through the centuries how decisions made by flawed adults change the lives of members of both families in this one small town. Since it is character driven, Ryan explores the inner lives of his characters and their relationships. He also carefully includes historical events along the way covering the 1920s, into WWII, the 1950s, the Vietnam War, and right up into the early 1980s.
The characters are all portrayed as fully realized individuals and expertly crafted, with both strengths and weaknesses. He delves deeply into their insecurities and interpersonal struggles throughout the novel. The deep insight into the characters helps make this a very compelling novel. This would be an excellent choice for book clubs as the characters and events would provide fodder for great discussions.
There were two minor issues I had with the novel which means I'm a bit of an outlier with my rating. First, at times the pacing occasionally felt too slow and deliberate. Secondly, the whole focus on Becky's ability to communicate with the deceased annoyed me.
Buckeye is a wonderful choice for those who enjoy character driven domestic dramas and historical fiction. Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via . My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Wow. If you haven’t heard of Buckeye yet, get ready — it’s going to be everywhere this year when it releases in September. Patrick Ryan sets his story in the small town of Bonhomie, Ohio, but there’s nothing small about this sweeping, multigenerational work of historical fiction. It’s brimming with love, joy, and often heartbreaking sorrow. You don’t just read about these characters — you feel them, as they navigate a world transforming before their eyes and wrestle with what that change means for their quiet corner of America. It’s one of my favorite books of the year and easily one of the best I’ve read in a long time.
At the heart of the story is Cal, a young man growing up during World War II. Due to a physical disability, Cal is unable to join his friends as they head off to war — some of whom never return. Instead, he remains in Bonhomie, where he meets and falls for Becky, a girl who can speak to the dead, and begins working at her family’s hardware store. Their relationship unfolds with all the tenderness and turmoil of young love. But things take a turn when Cal meets Margaret Salt, a married woman whose husband is serving overseas. When Margaret visits the store with news that the war may be ending and her husband might return home, the lives of two families become unexpectedly and irrevocably intertwined.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its cast of characters — each one richly drawn, with hopes and flaws that feel deeply human. While Cal remains the emotional anchor, the narrative occasionally shifts perspectives, expanding backward and forward through time. This structure adds depth, though it can be a bit disorienting in Part One, where the timeline jumps and focus briefly drifts from Cal. A more linear progression or tighter weaving of these threads might have improved the pacing.
My only other quibble is with the ending — not in its emotional power, which is immense, but in how quickly it arrives. After spending so much time immersed in the lives of these characters, the final chapters feel slightly rushed. I found myself wishing for just a little more time with them before saying goodbye. Still, the impact is undeniable. The conclusion left me in tears — a mix of heartbreak and hope — and it stayed with me long after I turned the last page.
Buckeye is set to release later this year, and I have no doubt it will land on many "must-read" lists. It deserves every bit of praise it receives. Patrick Ryan clearly poured his heart into this story — from its central characters to its vivid portrayal of small-town Ohio, from WWII through Vietnam and all the joy and grief in between. As I reflect on this novel, I feel genuinely emotional leaving these characters behind. Their lives, their losses, their love — it all lingers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!