Beautifully and carefully written multigenerational family drama mostly set in Ohio. The characters are interwoven and each of their backstories is rich and textured. I loved the flaws of each and even some of the otherworldly themes which were done so well without a hint of cheesiness.
I’d compare this to hello beautiful so if slowly painted dramas aren’t your thing you probably won’t appreciate the pace of this novel. It was however exactly my cup of tea.
4+ stars

Buckeye is a really intriguing read. Set against the backdrop of World War II and the Vietnam War in a small Ohio town, it weaves together a fascinating, messy web of stories, relationships, and connections. It’s moving, tragic, loving—and in many ways, it feels like an all-around American novel.

What struck me most is how it makes you reflect by the end—on family, personal relationships, the fragility of life, and the importance of forgiveness. While the pacing is a little on the slower side, it still managed to keep my attention throughout. There were moments when I wasn’t entirely sure where the story was headed, but I really appreciated how everything tied together in the end.

Overall, this was a powerful, thought-provoking book that stayed with me after finishing and will be one that will be on bookshelves around the nation for generations to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Patrick Ryan’s Buckeye is a tender, richly layered portrait of small-town America and the families whose lives become forever intertwined. With grace and empathy, Ryan captures the quiet moments that shape generations, exploring themes of love, regret, secrets, and resilience.

The novel’s strength lies in its characters—flawed, vulnerable, and achingly human. Cal, Becky, Margaret, and Felix each navigate the expectations of their time while wrestling with private desires and unspoken truths. Ryan never rushes their stories; instead, he allows them to unfold in a way that feels both intimate and inevitable, drawing the reader into the rhythms of their lives.

Beautifully written and deeply affecting, Buckeye is a novel that lingers long after the final page. Ryan has crafted a story that is at once specific to its mid-century Ohio setting and universal in its emotional resonance. A moving, heartfelt work of literary fiction that will stay with readers.

It pains me to write this because this was one of my most anticipated reads for Fall 2025. I made it to 25%, and unfortunately, I'm bored out of my mind. I feel like nothing is happening and there should be a little bit of momentum gaining now that we're ¼ of the way through this book! I may return to this when I'm not feeling as pressured with ARCs, but for now, it's sadly a dnf.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC copy to review.

This book was so well character driven and had just the right amount of family drama that I couldn't put it down!

Thank you so much to Random House for the gifted book.

I absolutely could not put this down the second I started it. I was hooked on the characters and their stories even though they kept making decisions that made me want to throw the book across the room. The writing was beyond beautiful and stunning. I can't believe this the first I'm hearing of Patrick Henry, but I definitely want to read whatever he writes next.

I don't know how he made it possible that I cared so much about characters that were mostly generally unlikable to me; it was quite the paradox.

The reading experience felt similar to reading BROKEN COUNTRY to me where I was hanging on every word the characters said. As with that one, the cheating themes were heavy and sometimes frustrating to me, although realistic.

I can already see that this will be a massive hit when it comes out on September 2nd..

Perfect for fans of character driven fiction who love some family drama. I plan on book talking this one at an upcoming advisory event.

I was intrigued by this book, with its premise of a mid-century family saga, focusing on two families that live in a smaller city in Ohio, spanning the early years of WWII through the early 1980s. This book lived up to my expectations and then easily exceeded them. I very much enjoyed my time reading about Bonhomie OH, and being immersed in the lives of Margaret and Felix Salt, and Cal and Becky Jenkins, and their respective sons Tom and Skip.
I don't really want to delve into the plot too much but just know this book alternated viewpoints from the various characters and covers a span of over 50 years in their lives. The writing was beautiful, and each character had their own easily distinguished unique voice. Overall, I don't really have any new thoughts to add that haven't already been expressed by those who are far more eloquent than I am, other than to say I heartily recommend this book.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

What's with me reading a lot of historical fiction books that take place in Ohio? Well, I guess it's only two, but The Daughters of Eerietown and this book have SO many similarities. This is the story of two intertwined families spanning the 1920s to 1980s in small town Ohio. Margaret grew up in an orphanage and was enjoying her new life as a young working woman, when she met Felix. He treated her well and offered her a great life, so even though she wasn't in love, she agreed to marry him. Cal, a man born with one leg shorter than the other, wasn't able to serve in WWII, and married Becky, a woman with a spiritual gift. When Felix enlists in the Navy, both couples worlds collide in a way that changes the futures of their families for generations. I liked this but did not love, I felt like it could have been tightened up in places but still found it enjoyable.

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.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

This generational saga, which mostly takes place in an Ohio town, requires a commitment to read. The overall storyline was good, but it would have benefited from better editing to refine it, especially in the middle. Not sure if this was worth the time investment (but it's very discussable).

Buckeye is nearly flawless as a novel that uses a small town as a way to tell a half-dozen intertwined stories that are unique in their realness and in their rawness.

Setting it all in the years before World War II and following the lives of the characters all the way through the Vietnam War, in the span of a single novel is incredibly complex but the pacing never fails. The lives that Cal, Felix, Becky, and Margaret live are given full respect and due. From storylines like a man born with a physical disability (and thus kept from joining the military when everyone was 'supposed' to) to a man who got married because he was 'supposed' to (while hiding that the men that he loved) to a woman trying hard to help others (despite the derision her gift, psychic abilities, often brought & what she was 'supposed' to be doing) to a woman who never had a family and struggled to come to terms with the idea that she wasn't meant for one (even though it was all she was 'supposed' to want)... they are equally interesting and equally powerful.

It shouldn't work, a story this big shouldn't work in what seems like an average sized book. But it does. It is a story of American life through some of the most momentous decades in history, told through the eyes of four people you could easily imagine meeting in the course of every day life. As the granddaughter of a World War II veteran, and so three other grandparents who lived through the years and events that this story spans, it was almost like I could live in their world for just a little while.

It was a beautifully told story, easily now one of the best I've ever read.

I received an early copy of this novel through NetGalley, Random House, and the author in exchange for an honest & original review.

“The things that we love tell us what we are.”

Once in a blue moon, a book comes along that rattles your heart, shakes you to your core, and brings you back to earth.

Buckeye is one of those rare books that does just that.
We meet Margaret, born under unfortunate circumstances, left on a doorstep at an orphanage in Ohio. Years later, we meet Felix, Cal and Becky, four people, all different in background and soul, and brought together in a sudden moment of desperation.

While WWII, The Korean War, and the Vietnam War is not the the center stage of Buckeye, it’s ever lasting impact takes a pivotal role. We see Felix join the Navy and is out to sea for years with little to no contact with Margaret. Becky, with the ability to speak with the dead, uses her special gift with people who want to ensure their loved ones are ok after dying in the war. Cal, who could not enlist because one leg is higher than other. Through the decades of war, we see two midwestern families in Bonhomie, OH, in a sweeping decades epic.

Yes, they’re all flawed characters, but who isn’t?
There are daily descriptions of life in the 40s and 50s thrown in with dramatic precision. History is thrown in without a whisper and you are swept away by the complexities of it all.

“A polio vaccine had finally been approved. A place called Disneyland had opened in California (two of Cal’s customers were taking their families all the way across the country just to see it). Tensions around integration in the South. had said segregation was illegal in schools. Bigotry seemed to be a right some people thought they earned by paying taxes, and they weren’t about to have that right taken away. A teenaged Black boy named Emmett Till had been brutally murdered in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman, and his mother had asked that pictures of his body be shown in the newspapers.”

As children enter the fold, along do parents, drug issues, homophobia, affairs, careers, education, big city versus suburb, and what seems to define the American dream. I absolutely loved this book, took my time reading it so I could devour every word from the fictional town Ryan created in Bonhomie.

“He says he was hoping you would find him. He says he loves you, Felix. He wants you to know that. And he says this—that you have to keep swimming. You’re the one in the water, and you’re the one who has to swim.”

Whatever Patrick Ryan writes next, I will be there. In the vein of Ann Napolitano and Claire Lombardo, Buckeye is a masterclass in contemporary fiction..

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan--This new generational family drama releases on 9/2. Set in small-town NW Ohio, the story starts during WW2 and ends after the Vietnam War. It follows 2 married couples, war, and the secrets they keep. I loved the setting of the book which is clearly the area where I currently live. Hancock county, Findlay, Tiffin, Fremont, Lima, Toledo are just a few of the familiar locations that turn up in the story. This is a tale of generational trauma, forgiveness, love, and acceptance. I feel like this will be a big hit this Fall. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC!

I LOVED this book SO, so much! I must admit that family sagas aren't generally my cup of tea, but something about the description really caught my eye. And I'm so glad it did! I loved the characters, I loved the setting (which sort of became its own character), I loved the exploration of life and what happens when it doesn't turn out how we wanted. I loved the exploration of love in lots of different ways. I loved the exploration of secrets and what we do with them, what can happen when they come unveiled, and how they affect the people around us. Ryan created such a lovely group of flawed characters (most of whom you can root for in one way or another).
Ryan has a fan for life now, and I'm going to need him to write about a million more books, please!

Set in Ohio in the years following WWII and through Vietnam, two families share a connection. Although it is set in Ohio this story could have happened anywhere and does not capture any of the unique charm of Ohio

This is going to be the generational trauma novel of the fall. It is Ohio's Forrest Gump, without the grandiosity.

Imagine you are looking at an American history book from around 1920-1976. Then zoom into Ohio, then a town of 6,000 people called Bonhomie. Then zoom further onto two interconnected families. Cal Jenkins was exempt from military service because one leg is longer than the other. He marries local girl Becky Hanover, who soon discovers a special gift. Margaret Anderson was an abandoned infant who grows up in a girls' orphanage. She is happy to marry Felix Salt, although they barely know each other, and soon he is off to war.

<i>“Is the future knowable? Will our older selves be anything like our younger selves thought we would be? We can only find out by writing it down and then putting it out of our minds and letting life take its course. The unraveling of time should be mysterious, don’t you think?”</i>

Sweeping long periods of time, this descriptive book hits on most major historical events and how they may be experienced by small town white America. If it has any faults, it is probably a bit nostalgic, but those moments are always followed by a reality of the time that leaves this reader grateful to have been born later. Several songs are mentioned that keep me moving along with the Jenkins and Salt families. Every storyline is sandwiched within the context of American history.

In many ways, it is the story of every midwestern town. The story explores patriotism, duty, honor, and what makes a family. Cal's father Everett often writes letters to the current president expressing his dissatisfaction, these letters make me wonder what my great grandfather would have written.

The characters are far from perfect, with the possible exception of Becky, they are flawed and afraid to be who they are meant to be. I think the characters will stay with me for a long time.

For fans of Long Island Compromise, The Celebrants, Same As it Ever Was, and Blue Sisters.
Here is my Hollywood Cast

Cal- Adam Driver
Felix- Jeremy Allen White
Becky- Anne Hathaway
Margaret- Emma Stone
Everett- Tom Hanks

<i>I think it is high time to ask if you have noticed that the ones who do the talking in war are never the ones who do the dying?</I>

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. Book to be published September 2, 2025.

*Buckeye* by Patrick Ryan is a multi-generational novel that spans from the 1930s to the 1970s. Set in Ohio, the narrative features multiple perspectives.

Cal Jenkins, a young man coming of age during World War II, resides in the small town of Bonhomie, Ohio. He desires to enlist in the Army, but his differing leg lengths disqualify him. Cal marries his high school sweetheart, Becky, who has the ability to communicate with spirits, and together they have a son named Skip.

Margaret was abandoned by her mother and raised in an orphanage. As a young adult, she leaves the orphanage to find her place in Columbus. There, she experiences several romantic relationships, which ultimately lead her to marry Felix Salt. Felix's job relocates the family to Bonhomie, where Margaret becomes the mother of a son, Thomas, who is only two years younger than the Jenkins' son, Skip.

The lives of these two families become intertwined in meaningful and complex ways. The characters form the heart of the story. I read this book at a measured pace because I didn’t want it to end, as there were many unexpected surprises along the way.

If you enjoy novels by William Kent Krueger, John Boyne, or Ann Napolitano, I recommend this book. I give it 4.5 stars!

4 ⭐️

BUCKEYE by Patrick Ryan

This was my first Patrick Ryan novel. Set mostly in Bonhomie, Ohio, two couples marry right before World War II, and their trajectories change due to the war and the culture of the time. Cal was born with one leg longer than the other, and he can’t serve in World War II. He marries Becky and works for her father in his hardware store. There he meets Margaret, an orphan whose husband Felix was sent off to serve in World War II.

This character-driven novel shows two generations of families - those facts they were born with (such as being abandoned as a baby) as well as those decisions they made.

➕ I liked the Ohio setting during World War II.
➕ I don’t think I ever really comprehended that the soldiers during World War II were the fathers of sons who ended up serving in Vietnam.
➕ The characters were interesting - flawed as well as having strengths.

➖ There were some paths that I wished the author had explored more, specifically Becky’s interest in seances and Margaret’s path after Tom got a little older. As this is a male author, I get that he was more curious (and capable) to follow Cal and Felix’s stories.
➖ While I enjoyed components of this novel greatly, I don’t think it came together in that 5 ⭐️ way that I wanted.

BUCKEYE publishes September 2, 2025. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Slow family drama. I liked that the characters make authentic (ie questionable and sometimes bad) choices. But the narrative voice leaves you so far removed from them. I never felt like these characters or their story mattered much.