Based on the description I was not interested in reading this book. But I was told that if I like Ann Patchett and/or Ann Napolitano I would like it, so I gave it a try, and I am so glad I did!! The stories of Margaret and Felix and Becky and Cal and their families really drew me in and I had a difficult time putting the book down. I read this, but I could almost hear Tom Hanks (The Dutch House) narrating in my head! It was a wonderful story, a narrated snapshot of life in the US at the end of WWII and the Vietnam war. The good, the bad and the ugly - told through the eyes of children, parents and grandparents.
Four and a half stars.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the digital ARC.

I just finished this book a few minutes ago and I still have teary eyes - BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END!

Margaret Salt is a housewife, married to Felix, during WWII. While Felix is away, Margaret meets Cal Phillips and this chance encounter changes the course of their lives, their spouses' lives, and their children's lives. This book is about finding true love, forgiveness, fate, loss, grief, and how small decisions can have unimagined consequences.

I loved this book so much. Patrick Ryan was a master at character development. Seriously, by the end of the novel, I was so attached to these flawed, yet wonderfully loveable, characters. The book dealt with some tough topics - WWI, Vietnam, death, civil rights - but they were all done so well that even the difficult passages were beautifully written.

The book was divided into three sections, Pre-WWII, WWII, and Post-WWII. But before that scares some people away, this is not what I would really classify as historical fiction. The book's divisions were more centered on life events that just happened to coincide with the war. And I thought that dividing it into sections helped the reader to reset after the big events that end each section.

I have been sitting here trying to think of a single negative thing to say about this book to balance out the review. No book is absolutely perfect, of course, but this one has come pretty close. I laughed with these characters, cried with them, celebrated, and empathized. This has become my top contender for my favorite 2025 read. 5 ⭐s from me!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy of this book. The book is already out, so get your copy and start reading! You will not be disappointed!

I’ve been hearing about this book all year, so I was thrilled to receive a gifted eBook copy for an advanced read. The good news: it’s every bit as astounding as promised.

Set in the small town of Bonhomie, Ohio, across the middle decades of the 20th century, the novel traces how four lives become inextricably bound by a secret as wars, history, and cultural shifts unfold on the national stage.

Cal Jenkins, unable to serve in WWII because one of his legs is shorter than the other, marries Becky, a young woman with the unsettling gift of speaking with the dead. Cal works for her father at his hardware store, while Becky raises their son, Skip, and quietly runs a free seer business from home—much to Cal’s disapproval.

Meanwhile, Felix Salt, a successful executive struggling with his sexuality, marries Margaret, an orphan still haunted by her past. During the war, Felix serves aboard a ship, returning home deeply traumatized and forever changed. While he was away, Margaret shared an impulsive kiss—and later, a brief affair—with Cal.

The power of this novel lies in how these relationships reverberate across time. Even when certain moments occur off the page, Ryan’s deft storytelling ensures their emotional weight lingers. Every character—from the central couples and their sons, Skip and Tom, to supporting figures like Everett and Roman—feels fully realized, complex, and alive.

Daily life and sweeping historical events move the story forward, but it’s the characters’ interactions and secrets that deepen the narrative and kept me racing through pages. I wept, I laughed, and ultimately, I closed the book feeling deeply satisfied.

This novel illuminates the humanity of ordinary lives with extraordinary tenderness. Its message is profound yet simple: despite the inevitable joys, losses, and complications of living, it is love, forgiveness, and hope that make life—and our bonds with one another—worthwhile.

A stunning and heartfelt read. Don’t miss it.

"Buckeye" is a book that has clearly resonated with many readers, but it simply wasn't for me. While many found the narrative's quiet depiction of life in the fictional Ohio town of Bonhomie to be charming, I found it lacked a compelling spark.

The story follows the lives of the Jenkins and Salt families from the 1930s to the 1970s. It focuses on the struggles and secrets of ordinary people, but even the supernatural element of Becky's ability to communicate with the deceased didn't quite elevate the plot for me. The narrative felt detached, with characters and events passing by almost like life itself—a series of occurrences without a central, driving force. The book's quiet, reflective tone, which others seem to love, made it hard for me to connect with the characters or feel invested in their journeys.

Perhaps the book's greatest strength for many—its realistic portrayal of the mundane and the ordinary—was its biggest weakness for me. While I can appreciate the novel's attempt to capture the quiet flow of small-town life, it didn't offer the kind of engaging story or memorable characters that I personally look for in a book. It’s a well-written piece, but one that just didn't align with my taste.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

5⭐️ I can’t express how much I loved this book! Being from OH and a child of the tumultuous 60’s and 70’s, it’s like a slice of life so familiar to me!

This is a beautifully written character driven, multigenerational story that encompasses the periods before WWII til post Vietnam War. It’s the characters that breathe life into this portrait of two families. We follow Cal and Becky, Cal crippled by a short leg, Becky who speaks with the dead. Felix and Margaret, Felix trying to fit into societal norms, Margaret an orphan abandoned at birth. Each of these people carry their own secrets and burdens that perpetuate into the next generation.
It’s a story of love, heartbreak, loss, grief, and forgiveness.

I can’t recommend it enough! Sure to one of the best of 2025!


Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishers,for the eARC in exchange for my honest review, but most of all to the author Patrick Ryan for writing this touching beautiful book!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House and Patrick Ryan for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of Buckeye.
What an outstanding novel! I knew from the first chapter this is my kind of book. A heart-wrenching story, beautifully written that gripped me from start to finish.
Get ready for one town, two families and a secret that influences so many lives. The characters are well developed, endearing yet flawed and their choices make sense because of the various circumstances. I grew up in this time period and this story, to me, is beyond realistic. I felt like I was walking down memory lane and loved every minute of it.
There are beautiful, meaningful quotes throughout which could be applied to our current timeline. Lots of thought provoking messages I took to heart.
It will be awhile before another story affects me so deeply. Definitely, a sign of a 5 star masterpiece!

Buckeye, with its straightforward, accessible prose, and flawed but likeable characters, quickly worked its way into my heart. I enjoyed this sweeping, multi-decade saga in which certain decisions made and secrets kept, bind two families together in a small Ohio town.

While World War II and the Vietnam War builds the backbone of this novel, the story is highly character-driven, and at the same time sheds light on how culture and society impacted the individual as well as family structure during this tumultuous time in American history.

At 464 pages this novel is not a short read, but each time I opened the book I was immediately lost in its pages, and transported into the lives of the Hanover and Salt families. While the subject matter in this book may not be entirely new to many readers, the depth and originality of the characters is what makes it stand out. Each protagonist, has an interesting quality or trait, which plays a major role in the trajectory of the novel. This helped me understand the actions of the characters, and feel sympathy as I witnessed the decisions and choices made that would have life-long impact on them and their families. Becky and Margaret, were such compelling and fascinating characters, I wanted to hear more from each of them. They were important and even central to the novel, but I felt they were kept at an arm’s length from the reader. I do think this was likely intentional, and would be an interesting element to explore within a book club discussion.

I enjoyed this story in which love, friendship, family bonds, grief, and heartbreak leave the reader feeling the full range of emotions. Buckeye is an American story that will be loved by many, especially fans of historical fiction and sweeping family dramas. I am looking forward to reading more by Patrick Ryan.

4.25 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of Buckeye by Patrick Ryan.

Patrick Ryan has created a small town community of relatable characters experiencing American history from WWII through the Vietnam war. I was especially drawn to it having lived myself through much of that history in a Midwestern town. This is a dense, meaty book and the expansive amount of details are additive to the experience of reading it. I really felt as if I was there and that these characters existed.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up!

This book breaks the mold for historical fiction and is a character driven book following the lives of four individuals (Cal, Becky, Margaret and Felix) in small-town Ohio. While the story starts in the midst of WWII and ends after the Vietnam War, this book is truly a sweeping family saga. I appreciated the depth of the author's writing (compared to the shallow text often found in historical fiction books).

I appreciated all four of the main characters. The author did an incredible job dealing with both LGBTQ+ and mental health themes while also portraying the complexity of families and tragedies of war. I also appreciated that Becky & Margaret were women who were both of their time while also pushing against the accepted norms. Furthermore, I was impressed by the author's ability to create well-developed & complex kid characters in Skip and Tom. I'll be thinking about these characters and the ways they responded to various hardships for a long time.

This deserves the praise it has received. It's a novel that's both epic and intimate as it tells the story of Cal, Becky, Felix, and Margaret, two couples bound by secrets in a small town in Ohio. This starts in the post WWI era, moves through WWII, and then on and through Vietnam with the wars and their impact anchoring the characters. Margaret was abandoned as a baby but never tells Felix, who she marries at 18. Felix has a bigger secret both from Margaret and in many ways from himself. It's Felix who goes to WWII and sees his life change in unexpected ways, even as everyone else's lives change back in Ohio where Becky is able to to communicate with the dead and Cal is, well, struggling with his physical difference and his need for Margaret. The children-Skip, son of Cal and Becky, and Thomas, son of Felix and Margaret-become the closest of friends without knowing one key thing. This has many twists and one heck of a gut punch. It's also generous toward the characters who will become real to you. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's terrific.

"One town. Two families. A secret that changes everything."

“A small-town novel of epic proportions” (Tom Perrotta), this captivating story weaves the intimate lives of two Midwestern families across generations, from World War II to the late twentieth century."
So much love for this book and can't wrap my mind around this debut without all the emotions spilling out. Well-worth the slow build and descriptors of every flawed but lovable character. It encircles the small towns of America with average people experiencing love, loss and forgiveness. The characters are fully fleshed out with their hopes and challenges. They suffered betrayal, but found forgiveness in the process of over 40 years. A small kiss between two strangers tentacles into consequences that reach generations.
In Bonhomie, Ohio, Cal and Becky Jenkins & Felix and Margaret Salt are entwined in a remarkable story, connecting and disconnecting them in everyday life moments. You can't miss this opportunity to see how one kiss can be endearing and misunderstood. Capturing moments from WWII through the Vietnam war, and how it brought these people together, which would leave a trail of guilt.
Outstanding writing and so much heart and love went into it. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this outstanding ARC.

This is a character driven family saga full of drama highlighting two families, the Salts and the Jenkins in small town Bonhomie, Ohio. These truly relatable and flawed characters were described through pieces of their childhood and through the years, and relating the impact of their choices into the next generation. I became close with these characters through this wonderful writing and, while slow at times, I was fully immersed in their story, feeling all their emotions. Love and loss, regret and remorse, sorrow but also hope... it's all there. Great writing by a new to me author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Historical “Americana” fiction at its best, Buckeye follows two families through three generations. Set in a small Ohio town, the lives of Cal, Becky, Margaret and Felix become intertwined in ways that drastically affect their futures. Through World War 2 up to the Vietnam war these families experience love, loss and betrayal. I was so invested in this story and its characters. Such a well written and emotional ride that I didn’t want it to end. One of my favorite books this year. I can’t thank Netgalley and Random House enough for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel.

Patrick Ryan has created a beautiful story of small-town America from 1930 to the 1960s. Covering family, friends, love and loss, Buckeye is the story of the Salt and Jenkins families. We see everythings - the wins, the losses, the talents and pride, the security and insecurities. We see the families during 3 different wars.

This is a major, epic novel about family and raw emotions.

This is a remarkable book and I expect it to be on many best-seller lists.

This book sprawls over the lives of Cal and Margaret, two people whose lives are completely separate save for one fateful night that will change the trajectory of their futures. Watching Cal and Margaret grow into adults and make sense of the worlds around them is a lesson in humility and humanity. What makes a person good? How much impact does family have on an individual? How much impact does no family have? Those are just some of the big questions posed in the epic tale of growing up in small town, Ohio, wanting what everyone wants: to be happy. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This was a real beautiful find!

Cal Jenkins was born in 1920 with one leg shorter than the other. He had a difficult childhood living with his father, Everett, after his mother and siblings died. Everett, a veteran, was an alcoholic and a hoarder, but Cal kept trying to impress him, and he felt defeated when his disability made him unfit for military service when he tried to enlist after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Cal meets a local girl, Becky, who for “all her quirkiness, . . . had a reassuring presence.” They married in 1942, her parents helped them purchase a house, and Cal went to work in Becky’s father’s hardware store.

Becky could hear the dead from a young age. She began to advertise that she was a “spirit liaison,” and word quickly spread that she could speak to the dead. Cal became concerned that Becky’s “hobby was getting away from her . . . becoming more of a nuisance than something she enjoyed,” and taking time away from their son Skip. He resented people coming in and out of his home, but he also envied Becky because she mattered to people she barely knew. And he sometimes wondered “how things might have gone for him if he hadn’t married the first girl he’d ever gone on a date with.”

Infant Margaret was dropped off at Open Arms orphanage in Doyle, Ohio in the middle of the night in October, 1918. She was shuttled to different foster homes, but she spent the majority of her childhood within the confines of Open Arms, a favorite of the administrator, Lydia. When she turned eighteen, she departed for Cincinnati, a stunning beauty, who bunked in a lodging house which “was like an orphanage for grown-ups” and worked in a cafeteria. She was enjoying her freedom, including various sexual adventures, when she met the “cigarette ad” handsome (and closeted) Felix Salt, a model of propriety, who proposed within months of their meeting. Margaret felt as if Felix had “adopted rather than married her.” A promotion moved them to Bonhomie, where Margaret transformed from a young bride to a housewife, homemaker, and helpmate, despite her lack of interest in domesticity. Within a few years, Felix enlisted in the Navy, and Margaret lived without him for half of their married life. When he returned from the war, Felix was far from his old self. “It was if the war had taken him apart, and the Navy had put him back together differently.”

Margaret is in Cal’s hardware store when they both hear the news of Germany’s surrender, prompting them to share an impulsive kiss. Drawn together because of their lonely childhoods and impoverished upbringings, they embark on an affair. With Felix set to return home after surviving the trauma of his ship being sunk and his lover missing and presumed dead, Margaret ends the affair. But the end of the affair is not the end as the couples’ lives continue to intersect and the choices they make and the secrets they keep reverberate through the next generation.

Ryan paints a vivid portrait of the American Midwest, capturing the essence of a time and place from the end of World War II through America’s Bicentennial. Set against the backdrop of the country’s evolving social landscape, Ryan follows two couples as they contend with secrets, betrayals, infidelity, loss, love and forgiveness. Ryan has crafted a novel with well-drawn characters caught in situations that are extraordinary but believable and that will linger long after the book is concluded. This is a story that the reader will want to discuss with others, and I will be recommending it to all of my book clubs. Thank you Michael Hoak Senior Marketing Manager at Random House for an advance copy of this glorious family saga.

Wow. This is an incredibly written multi-generational story that I couldn't put down. The characters are rich and three dimensional and the prose is powerful.

4.5 stars but rounding down because it was long 464 pages!

Thank you for the advanced reader copy Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Random House & Netgalley.

I SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS BOOK BUT I WILL TRY MY BEST!!!

Buckeye tells the story of the Jenkins and Salt families, whose lives are forever intertwined after an innocent kiss to celebrate the Allied victory in Europe during World War II.

I love going into books knowing as little of the plot as possible so I won’t go into more detail, but you can expect that many timeless themes - love, loss, identity, betrayal, forgiveness - are explored as the families navigate major moments in history along with their own private reckonings.

The story is vast and sweeping yet feels so intimate due to the incredible character development and the raw emotion that comes along with it. We get to know and understand all the characters, their motivations, and their flaws, and when I say I was *rooting* for everyone in this book, I mean it. (Do you know how rare that is?!)

This is historical fiction meets literary fiction, written in the most beautiful and compelling way. I could not put this book down, and this story, its characters, and its message will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

4 1/2 Stars

Buckeye is a sweeping family drama that tells the quiet story of two small-town Midwestern families across generations, from World War II to the late twentieth century.

The narrative touches on so many intimate parts of life - through the telling of two families in the small town of Bonhamie, Ohio.  It covers how deeply the wartime culture (of WWI, WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War) deeply affected the generations.

Focusing on the two families, the Jenkins and the Salts, we see the progression of their lives in such a deep and meaningful way and how their lives intertwined in ways that were unexpected.  We see them as real human beings who made mistakes and tried to do the right thing afterwards but sometimes didn't get it right.  It depicts a realistic and sometimes heartbreaking look at long-term marriage and parenthood.

There were so many moments that I had to pause and reflect on - the ending was especially well done.   This was such a beautiful story - the only teeny downside is that the pace is slow.   For me, ultimately it only serves to enhance the overall storytelling, but I did want to mention it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for access to this eARC.

This was one of the best books I have read in a long time and I read a lot. The author did such a great job of blending the two families and the various parallels to their lives. The nuances spoke volumes and were so resplendent throughout the book. The characters were truly so well structured, that you felt as though you actually knew them. Heartache mixed with sorrow and with love, made it a book for the ages.