ARC, thank you NetGalley/Random House Pub./ especially author Patrick Ryan, you gave me hours of immersive entertainment. The relatable characters, the historical settings, the attention to detail and the ease in which you captured my heartfelt emotions on so many levels. This is a novel I won’t easily forget.

The tumultuous 1970’s kept me riveted to the pages, as I remember much of what was going on during the Vietnam era and it’s aftermath. Having lost a loved one myself during that war, the tears came unwarranted and the heaviness of it all tightened in my chest yet again.

There is joy too, even laughter, amidst the decades depicted here in this historical rendering, and many gems of wisdom about relationships, all kinds of relationships. We wonder why people make the choices that they do and even when they seem that it is a definite mistake with probable repercussions, we know these are flawed human beings with unfathomable sets of circumstances that we can’t judge them for their choices … walk in my shoes, as is said.

This beautiful rendering by author Ryan should not be missed. Release date is coming soon, September 2, 2025.

What can I say about this stunning novel except that it will move you.

It is a story of life, love and war, family and community, marriage, parenthood, independence and dependence, skepticism and mysticism, hope, lies, and truth. It will bring you through lofty highs and the lowest lows as it navigates the intersecting stories of two families drawn together by a moment of celebration, exuberation, and desperation.

It will pull you back into 20th century America with an empathetic eye for those who lived through some of the hardest years of our history.

It will squeeze your heart as you somehow absorb currents of feeling flowing through these characters in such a real and surprising way.

Buckeye is a triumph, and I could not recommend it more highly. What a wonderful, wonderful book.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A huge thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review! This was a 5 star story! Story telling at its finest in small town America. This will certainly be the book that everyone is talking about this fall and the number 1 choice for book clubs as there is so much to ponder.
A family saga spans from WWII to just after the Vietnam War. At the start we meet Cal who due to a disability is unable to serve in the war leaving him perhaps more damaged than his friends returning from war. Cal meets and marries Becky a seer with the ability to contact the dead allowing loved ones to say goodbye. In time Cal and Becky become forever entwined to another couple Margaret and Felix. Through the years the secrets shared by these couples grow and eventually have a profound effect on the next generation.
Patrick weaves these characters into the hearts of the reader. As each character's history is disclosed an understanding of their choices, lives and loves are revealed in such a compelling way. Definitely the must read of the fall! Enjoy!

This novel is one of the most anticipated titles of the year for a reason. The writing is incredible, the character development is remarkable, and the setting of Bonhomie, Ohio is visceral. We get to witness individual, family, and community change as the world experiences hardship, war, and enormous growth. This novel is a gift, and will resonate with so many generations of readers. I loved it, and can’t wait to sell it.

My gosh what beautiful prose. Historical fiction that just tells the story of a family through the years, the flawless POV changes and hometown setting were a pleasure to read.

This story and others like it have been told since the beginning of time. Different characters, different wars, different infidelities, but they all lead to similar sagas. Character-driven with long, descriptive passages.

Bonhomie, Ohio is a typical small Midwestern town. People are born there and stay, or they move there and they stay. Residents know where everyone lives, they know the "good" parts of town, they know the "bad" parts of town. There are income divides, racial divides, probably education divides. Cal has lived there forever, as has his wife, Becky. Cal was born with one leg shorter than the other. When World War II rolls around, he is not able to serve and this always hurts him and makes him feel less than others. Becky has the ability of second sight and she uses it in interesting ways in the story. They have a son, Skip.

Felix and Margaret move there because of Felix's job. When the war becomes prolonged, Felix enlists in the Navy, where he might be out of harm's way, doesn't work that way. Cal and Margaret become involved with each other. Upon Felix's return, wounded both in body and spirit, the affair ends, Margaret has a baby and life appears to go on. Margaret, never cut out for motherhood, leaves when Tom is eight years old. Fast forward to Vietnam. The boys, Skip and Tom, are at the right age to serve. They make their own choices as many young people did during that era.

As an Ohioan, I enjoyed all of the Ohio/Columbus references and just wished there were more! Rich story with compelling characters who I really connected with. Beautiful writing, interesting family drama. Would be a great book club book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. All opinions here expressed are my own.
Set in Ohio after the Vietnam war, this novel hits the nail on the head in its descriptions of Ohio, in life after war, and even what healing from war or childhood trauma looks like. The characters are well developed and likeable, the setting clear and thorough. The secrets set forth are intriguing enough to keep turning pages.
But for me, the book was just too long. Its one of those books you could skip 100 pages and still know where you were. I would have given this a 4.5 if it were more concise. Could have been the mood, but I was really hoping for a great Ohio Historical Fiction for my book club, but the number of pages is just too much for the book club and my attention span. I give it a 4, rounded up for the characters and writing style. I think people will really enjoy this book.

A story of two families in a small town and how their lives become intertwined. The characters are very well developed and the story line is well Written. It is a story that tough on many emotions that happen in life due to choices and the world around us.
Thanks for the advanced copy from NetGalley and the publisher.

Hands down the best book I’ve read so far this year. I felt like the writing style was reminiscent of Steinbeck (in regards to the flawed characters and all the vicissitudes of life they experience). There is a lot going on below the surface in this book (PTSD, grief, misogyny, homophobia, racism, war atrocities etc) but it is well worth the time it takes to digest it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I hate to use the phrase "old-fashioned" about this book, but it fits. I haven't read a novel like this in quite a while, and it made me realize how much I've missed books like this. Excellent story, expertly written, with fully fleshed out characters telling a story that will resonate with every reader. I kept thinking about "Ordinary People" while reading this- not that their plots paralleled, but the style of novel, telling the story of a family's struggles without flash or hyperbole. Books like this aren't written very often; I am unfamiliar with the author; I plan on fixing that error immediately.

Buckeye is such an amazing story! This is an immersive, captivating, exhausting (in a good way) family drama that tore into my soul. The heartbreak and sadness with the love and joy blend together into an engaging tale that I didn’t want to end. One of 2025’s best….

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Deep sigh. Kindle should have a feature like Garmin where you get an estimated recovery time from a novel such as this.

Buckeye is a character-driven novel set in small town America against the backdrop of WWIl, Vietnam, and beyond.

There's Cal and Becky, the former ineligible to serve in WWII due to a slight physical disability and the latter a conduit to the membrane of the spiritual world.

Then there's Felix and Margaret, both of whom keep essential parts of their identities secret and exist as a family until they don't.

These unions produce two children: Skip and Tom. We get to know them as boys, watch them become men, and see the impact of their families' secrets.

If you enjoy family sagas like Hello Beautiful and Ask Again, Yes, this is the book for you. You'll root for, curse, and cry with the characters in equal measure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. I can't wait to follow the book's reception in September!

I don’t think I’ve been so submerged in a book before!
I love a family saga. And Buckeye was an exceptional book.
A beautifully written story with engaging characters who will leave an impression for a long time!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC.

A moving portrait of two familes spanning across the twentieth century. A realistic plot, well-drawn characters. The complexities of love, betrayal, and forgiveness are explored with a deft hand. Our library's book club and patrons will be clambering for this phenomenal book.

I absolutely loved this. It made me cry several times over.
The time periods were meticulously depicted. The characters were thoughtful and interesting and I always wanted to know what would happen next.

The wisdom that comes with age was needling, he found, because it brought the clarity of hindsight without the means to change anything. from Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

I loved this novel, its pages filled with flawed people who hope for the best but cause deep damage, people who learn to transcend pain and become a support for each other in darkest times.

The story of two families arcs across the twentieth century, encompassing three generations. All the 20th c touchpoints are referenced. It was a time of secrets and closeting, when governments sent young men into brutal wars. When women had limited options.

It is set in an intimate small Ohio town and in the city of Columbus with its anonymity and sparkling department stores.

Tom, nicknamed Buckeye for his pockets filled with the nut from his backyard tree, is the crux of the story. His mother abandoned the family when he was a child, and not even his father knew that she had likewise been abandoned when a child. Tom makes friends with an older boy, Skip, whose dad works in his in-law’s hardware store. Skip’s mother freely shares her gift of connecting to the dead, hoping to bring comfort to the grieving.

A secret liaison born of need alters the future.

The things we love tell us what we are. Thomas Aquinas quoted in Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

For all the pain these characters cause each other, there is great forgiveness and love. We realize we should never waste a moment of our brief life, that forgiveness allows us to flourish. We build our life every day, have a chance to make amends every day. We are a work in process.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

One of my favorite books of the year, hands down. The plot was so realistic and so well fleshed out. I love multi-generational family sagas and this is one of the best I've ever read. I've continued to think of this intimate story of love and betrayal and forgiveness and the depths of relationships. Five stars.

I knew from the very first page that I was going to fall in love with Patrick Ryan's novel, Buckeye. This character driven historical fiction novel weaves the story of two couples - Becky and Cal and Margaret and Felix in a seamless and breathtaking way - from their early childhoods, to adulthood, and beyond. This story has everything - beautifully crafted and developed characters, a thought provoking time frame, and a story filled with love, secrets, entanglements, betrayal, and forgiveness. I can't say enough good things about this book and will be recommending it to every single reader I know. It was the kind of story I couldn't wait to read every night, but couldn't bare to finish. As soon as I was done I wanted to read it all over again.

I would pre-order this one now, request it from your library, however you read books. You must read this one.

Thank you thank you thank you Random House and NetGalley - Buckeye will stay with me forever.

LOVED this family drama and the interwoven stories of multiple generations i the small Ohio town of Buckeye. Great for fans of Richard Russo or Elizabeth Stout.