Buckeye is a historical fiction novel, sweeping across decades, set in Ohio, the "Buckeye state". The writing put me smack dab in each time period which included WW2, assassinations of JFK and RFK, and social stigmas based on class structure and gender expectations. Although I enjoyed the plot points, several of the characters weren't flushed out enough for me to root for them. Some of the story lines didn't connect or make sense to me and some of the plots felt rushed while others dragged on. I'm glad I read this one and I think it will be popular and loved by many. Heartfelt thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Buckeye is the kind of novel that quietly grabs you and doesn’t let go. Patrick Ryan has crafted a rich, emotionally resonant coming-of-age story that’s both tender and sharp, with characters that feel achingly real. The writing is beautifully understated, every sentence purposeful, every moment earned. It's a book that explores identity, family, and belonging with so much honesty and grace. I found myself completely absorbed, turning pages slowly just to make it last. This is storytelling at its most intimate and affecting. A true gem.

Sincere thanks to Random House and Net Galley for offering me this book for an early read. I cannot describe how immersed I became in this book from the first line to the last word. Although I was alive for much of the time period of this historical novel I was often involved in life, education, marriage, children. Some of the details of both World War II and the Viet Nam war resonated sharply and vividly. Some of the novel like the episode on a tanker in the South Pacific left me shaking and breathless.

Patrick Ryan is gifted, bringing characters to life so that by the end of the long novel you know them as well, perhaps better, then you know your own family. The novel begins with a baby left at an orphanage who is never successfully adopted and is returned to Lydia, the woman in charge of the place. She, named Margaret, becomes a caregiver to the younger children. Her background makes everything else in her life understandable.

Cal is born with one foot shorter than the other and is the only surviving child of a Worl War I veteran who keeps writing his opinions to multiple Presidents. How he develops is also the result of his childhood. Margaret marries Felix and Cal marries Becky. Neighter marriage is happy. Becky has a "gift" of being able to communicate with "spirits", something Cal can't believe in. Margaret finds her sexual life with Felix unfulfilling (for a good reason, we find out.) How these people, living in a small town in Northern Ohio, each have a son move forward in time is fascinating.

The novel is impossible to put down and the involvement in the lives of Margaret, Felix, Cal, Becky, their parents and their sons are so real and so relatable. It is the best novel I have read this year. I can't sing its praises enough.

Incredible. As an Ohioan, I was primed to like a book called "Buckeye," but I think readers will be blown away by this character work and emotionally taut storytelling regardless of where they're from. Not many books make me cry. This one did.

Buckeye was such an interesting, well-written book. Set in small-town Ohio (known as the "Buckeye state", hence the title),from the 1940s through the late 20th century, it is an ode to an Ohio of the past. Additionally, the themes, locales, characters, and cultural references are so universal that the book is a microcosm of life in small towns across America during times of tremendous transition and turbulent change.

Ryan does a terrific job establishing the cultural context of the time periods. I have lived in Ohio for fifty years and other small towns before that, so I experienced all the eras he portrays ( except the 1940s). References to popular music ( from Elvis to Simon and Garfunkel), Zane Grey novels, mood rings, young people watching the televised birthday drawings for the Vietnam draft, old department stores like Lazarus, television shows like Colombo and Cannon and so much more, lend such authenticity to the book. While setting the story firmly in its context, these elements are inserted naturally and never overwhelm the stories.

Similarly, his descriptions of all the demographic and physical changes that transformed the town are fascinating and authentic. These changes were significantly transformative and were mirrored by small town America during these eras. I was particularly fascinated by the descriptions of Columbus, where I have lived for many years. His integration of the changes in the city are accurate and fascinating. The characters and the decisions they make reflect these changing landscapes. Again, these descriptions do not overwhelm or slow down the narrative.

Then there are the characters. The novel is essentially character driven. Each main character-Cal, Becky, Felix, Margaret, Thomas, and Skip-is flawed and heroic in different ways. While I didn’t agree with many of their decisions, they were so well developed that I understood why they acted as they did. Because each speaks in his or her own voice, the reader knows their deepest thoughts, emotions, and secrets.. The only exception to my sense of thoughtful, deep character development was the son Thomas. He was so angered by the revelations of the adults regarding his parentage that he disappeared and didn’t speak for many years to any of the people involved. It seemed to be an overreaction to me. He does eventually and tentatively reconcile with the father who raised him, which seemed more believable to me.

Even the secondary characters were believable and well- developed. Small towns have their gossips, people who help you no questions asked, shopkeepers who know what you need because they are your neighbor, kids who have been best friends since they were babies. These characters enriched the story and served as foils to the main characters, highlighting their thinking and actions.

This is one of the best books I read this year. I hope it finds a wide audience.

Thanks to Random House for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.


--

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan offers a unique perspective on World War II from Ohio. Characters evoke laughter and heartbreak. Highly recommended for historical fiction and layered family dramas.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. What a sweeping historical fiction masterpiece. These characters, these settings and the intricacies that tie them together are so impressive. This was a really intimate story that could have just as easily been nonfiction because these stories surely existed somewhere. I loved how all the stories tied together in such a beautiful way. Four stars..

This is a really well researched historical novel that spans the time from WWII through the Vietnam War, centered around three main characters in a small Ohio town. The writing is somewhat singular - despite switching character POVs (and doing so well) I found myself completely immersed in the storytelling.

That said, sometimes the book was a little slow for me! It's absolutely a great jumping off point for many discussions about a crucial time period, but I thought there were some trims that may have serviced the pace of the novel.

Overall, I'd say it's a very strong 3.5 for me. I wanted a little bit more propulsion, but I am sure other readers will quite enjoy the pace. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was such a fantastic story. I truly got sucked into all the drama. It tells the story of two families in small-town Ohio and how their choices affect their families for decades. I will admit I disliked Margaret as an adult, she was the most selfish character in the story and never did seem to change. There were zero redeeming qualities about her. I am sure growing up an orphan did a number on her but she sure treated everyone in her expendable. I enjoyed Beverly the most followed by Everett, Felix, and Cal. Watching the family's connections unfold was cool. The son's characters, Skip and Tom, were well thought out. I enjoyed their storylines a lot. All in all, a winner of a story that gives you a peek into life in small-town Ohio through the years. I highly recommend it.

I loved this book so much! It explored the concept of family, in its expanded form. The characters and their reactions and emotions were so very real. I wanted to be friends with even the most flawed.

I really enjoyed this story. I had a really good understanding of the story and the characters. I liked seeing the characters grow and change over the years too.

My honest review of an ARC. Thank you #NetGalley and #PatrickRyan

An intertwined telling of two couples spanning between WWII and Vietnam.

My favorite part of this book was the Ohio settings with all things familiar to me. And, the line, “We aren’t living in the past; the past is living in us. And it’s taking.

I liked this book. It had a great story line with very well developed characters. However, I felt it to be a bit slow and steady with very little drama propelling me forward.

One of my favorite authors called this book "the best book coming in 2025" and I immediately requested it on NetGalley, knowing absolutely nothing about this one. Man, it did not disappoint. I loved this book, and it will likely be one of my favorite reads of the entire year.

I'm drawn to "heartbreaking" novels and this one was just that. It reminded me of how I felt reading THE GREAT BELIEVERS and DEMON COPPERHEAD. So many characters with emotional trauma, secrets, and tortuous feeling things left unsaid and undone in life.  Highly recommend this one to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and layered family dramas. I will be thinking about this book for a very long time. Thank you NetGalley for the digital arc.

Follows 2 families in the 1940-1960s and the many ripple effects from decisions made while at war or on the home front. We experience the confusion when a loved one in a child's life leaves and the personal search for causation. The mind's search for causation if often not the truth. I enjoyed the story and the writing. Many meaningful word pictures.

Buckeye is a story about complicated and flawed people. Some of them healing themselves, repairing wrongs and seeking forgiveness and some never figuring it out. Much like real life. While the themes and plot weren’t unique the storytelling and character development was gripping.

I was able to read this novel thru NetGalley and to tell the truth I delayed after reading the first page. BUT this novel is so good…it’s well written, engaging and covers the time period from World War II thru Vietnam war. Highly recommend !

The story opens in the aftermath of World War II, where Cal Jenkins—a man wounded by the shame of not serving—finds solace in the arms of Margaret Salt, a woman desperate to conceal her past. Their impulsive tryst ignites a chain of events that entangles not only their lives but those of their spouses and, eventually, their children.

The novel masterfully explores themes of guilt, longing, and the fragility of secrets. Cal’s wife, Becky, is a particularly striking figure—a seer who channels the voices of the dead, offering solace to grieving families. Her ability to peer into the beyond adds a hauntingly mystical layer to the narrative, making her grief and intuition all the more poignant. Meanwhile, Margaret’s husband, Felix, stationed on a Navy cargo ship, is presumed safe until a telegram brings the shadow of war crashing into their domestic sphere.

What makes this novel so compelling is its seamless navigation through the postwar decades, capturing the optimism of America’s reconstruction alongside the undercurrent of personal reckonings. The author skillfully evokes the claustrophobic intimacy of small-town life, where no secret can remain hidden forever. The ripple effects of Cal and Margaret’s indiscretion haunt their families for generations, forcing them to confront their identities and reimagine their futures.

Poignant, beautifully written, and achingly human, this story is about the weight of unspoken truths and the resilience of the human spirit.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was beautiful. The writing was so straightforward but compelling and while we jump around from character to character, the flow of the story was effortless and I was never confused or lost. I highlighted so many quotes and will be thinking about these characters for a long time.

Everyone wants to be loved and feel loved. I think this book captures those emotions uniquely. The writing is top-notch and the characters well crafted. I enjoyed the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Captivating and Layered Family Saga

Buckeye is a beautifully crafted novel that weaves together family secrets, personal struggles, and the passage of time in a small Ohio town. The story follows a cast of deeply compelling characters—Cal, Becky, Felix, and Margaret—whose lives are shaped by love, regret, and the societal expectations of their time. At the heart of the novel is the complex relationship between two boys, Thomas and Skip, whose connection remains hidden from them for years.

The novel skillfully explores themes of identity, war, and generational change, with particularly strong depictions of Felix’s post-war trauma and Becky’s spiritualist practices. The pacing is engaging, shifting seamlessly through decades while maintaining emotional depth. The relationships feel authentic, and the gradual unraveling of long-held secrets adds to the novel’s emotional weight.

With its rich character development and evocative storytelling, Buckeye is a deeply moving read that lingers in the mind long after the final page.

Publication Date: September 2, 2025


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.