What a beautiful story of two families and the criss cross of how decisions made impact both across the years. I loved the characters and the way in which the author entangled each into each others lives.

A sweeping historical novel set in the small fictional town of Bonhomie. This focuses on the lives of two families from just before the second world war to post Vietnam. War. The lives of the two families are inextricably intertwined with lasting repercussions when an act of infidelity has lasting consequences. Perfectly embodies the emotions and social mores of the time. You get caught up in the emotions and human failings of the characters. Fantastic book, fully deserving of the five star rating I've given

As far as historical novels go – this is a great one. It is a story deeply embedded in American and World history, spanning the time from just after the First World War until the end of the Vietnamese War in 1975. It is also a genuinely personal story of two families whose lives become intertwined and determined by the choices they make in a world-political context that is far from their making.

The lives of all three generations of those families have been affected by war and nothing good ever came of it. In this sense, it is also a very convincing anti-war novel illustrating the devastating and ruinous nature of warfare. There is however nothing superficial about it, with great subtlety we are immersed in the lives of the protagonists, in their secrets, regrets, missed opportunities and new beginnings.

The story is set in Ohio, in the fictitious town of Bonhomie, far away from where the big decisions are being taken and we witness how their lives get rattled by the seismic link between the middle of nowhere and the world’s power centres.

I really appreciated the way the book takes its time to develop and grow its characters - I loved all of them and found it hard to let go in the end. What a book.
I am grateful to NetGalley and Random House/ Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

4 intertwined characters, all with complex issues, in a small American town pre and post WW2. The reader is left guessing how their story will end, enthralling reading.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd for an early copy of Buckeye: A Novel, by Patrick Ryan.

Buckeye is a sweeping novel about two families whose lives become deeply intertwined in a small Ohio town before, during, and after WWII and the Vietnam War. An act of infidelity in the wake of VE Day celebrations sets off a decades-long connection and trauma that echoes through generations.

This is a very real story that confronts uncomfortable truths about generational trauma, the costs of war, and what it means to come home from it—not just for soldiers, but for their families as well.

I was sure I would love this book, since it ticks so many boxes for me: historical fiction, the ripple effects of war, character-driven storytelling, and a multi-generational family saga. I’ll admit it took me a little while to settle in—the story begins with the characters’ early years, and it wasn’t clear at first how everything would connect. But once it did, I was in, hook, line and sinker.

I highly recommend Buckeye to fans of historical family dramas, especially readers of Kristin Hannah and William Kent Krueger—two of my favourite authors.

To me this book appeared slow moving.
However when I had finished it I realised that it was slow moving as a giant river that is deep and wide is slow moving.
Although the interweaving stories were never gripping they were all interesting and quite unusual.
It took me a while to read it but overall I consider that it was well written and well worth reading.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Buckeye is a sweeping yet intimate family saga set in the small Ohio town of Bonhomie, beginning in the aftermath of the Second World War and spanning decades of love, loss and secrets. The story begins with Cal Jenkins, a man unable to serve in the war due to a physical condition, and Margaret Salt, whose husband Felix is away on a Navy ship. A fleeting moment of passion between them sparks a secret that ripples across generations, entangling their families in ways neither could have foreseen.

Patrick Ryan brings Bonhomie vividly to life, capturing the nuances of small-town life where nothing stays hidden for long. The characters are richly drawn, from Becky, Cal’s wife with her spiritual gift of communicating with the dead, to Margaret, shaped by her orphaned past and uncertain marriage. As the narrative moves forward twenty-five years into the turbulence of the Vietnam era, the consequences of that one encounter echo powerfully, altering the course of both families.

The writing is tender, evocative and steeped in historical detail, weaving together themes of love, longing, identity and resilience. Ryan balances the universal and the particular, using the intimacy of two families to reflect broader American experiences of postwar change and generational conflict.

This is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant book, perfect for readers who enjoy multi-generational stories filled with history, heart and the weight of long-held secrets.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Epic storytelling of the highest calibre.
This will stay long in the memory as a reader.
It seemed to start slowly with Cal Jenkins in 1920, his one leg shorter than the other and his somewhat confined life in Bonhomie in Ohio.
But as Cal grew, flourished, met and lost friends after Pearl Harbour while still caring for his father Everett he then met Becky and their small, settled married life with one son Skip seemed to conform to everyone else's lives in the town.
War is a theme that runs through this superb book. From the back stories of WWI to the mistakes and massacres of the Vietnam conflict. People die. Sons are lost. Friendships of comrades are cemented in heightened circumstances. The biggest decisions of politicians here on these pages truly affect the lives of a small town.
Becky however also has a talent for hearing the voices of the dead. This leads to many things including revelations and fears.
Then alongside this is Margaret's story. From 'outside' in the city of Columbus she arrives with her own past and the tragedy of mother's lost and then found when not sought.
Overall pages reveal high emotional intensity but cleverly formed in characters with which readers will surely become attached.
The bigger picture of America's history is entwined with the huge effects that Margaret and Cal and those close to them have on the story in the small town of Bonhomie.
Nothing is spared and I kept reading feverishly.

This piece of historical fiction takes place in a small town in the mid west and spans between 1920's and 1976. It is a bit of an epic saga about two families whose lives are interconnected. I really liked the characters, they were all flawed in some way but all very believable. It's a tale of family, love, duty and patriotism, told with great feeling and insight. A very emotional read and one I would really recommend, especially for book clubs and lovers of historical fiction. One I will remember for a very long time. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

A saga following two men and their families in the first half of the twentieth century inAmerica. It's vivid, surprising and totally absorbing. Both men are deeply affected by the events of that time as are their sons. The women make their own way. Excellent

A great slow-paced story of two families and their secrets carries throughout the years. We follow them from the World War II days towards the Vietnam War and beyond and how they are affected by these wars. The characters are very well written and I enjoyed their development.

I love love loved this. A small American town World war 2, and the Vietnamese war are the backdrop to this story. It starts with a baby left in a basket on the windowsill of a charity and the issues around how lack of identity can live with you forever. 2 Families connected, secrets kept. The characters were all excellent, I felt I knew all of them. I admit I shed a tear or two.

A wonderful saga. The characters are so well drawn and described that you really empathise with (pretty much) all of their actions. Set in Bonhomie Ohio, a state which grows exponentially throughout the novel we are introduced to the 4 main characters Cal, Becky Margaret & Felix. Cal was unable to fight on WWII because of a physical defect which affected him greatly. When he meets Becky, a spiritual seer who communicates, almost without trying, with the deceased, their marriage looks as if it is going to be perfect. Margaret is a troubled young woman who has lived a difficult childhood, and is emotionally detached. She is however a beauty and attracts a great deal of attention. When she & Felix marry, you suspect that it's not going to be straightforward..
A sweeping historical family novel which is unputdownable. Thoroughly recommended especially for bookgroups.
Thank you for the advance copy Betgalley
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A superbly crafted character driven novel which captures the quiet power of connection and how one small act can echo out across the years. Peopled by the most wonderfully human characters and spanning turbulent decades this is a wise, tender and insightful story, that at it's heart is the universal longing to belong. From the very first page I was drawn into Bonhomie, a small American town brought vividly to life, and eager to watch as the story unfolded, which it did, beautifully. A truly memorable book, and an author I’ll be returning to without question.

Interesting and well written. Can’t say much happens as such so it’s not for you if you are searching for an adrenaline boost!

The characters are well drawn and relatable. I won’t lie I prefer dull and steady Cal and Becky to Margaret and poor Felix.

US society in the backwaters of a tiny town in Ohio is beautifully represented. The lack of money, fading of the pre war social order.

Enjoy !

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

The blurb does not do this book justice. It is one of those books where all the main characters are important and add to the story.

This is a brilliant read. It is a superior type of family saga following 2 families in Ohio through some of the biggest events and upheavals in American history such as Pearl Harbour, Vietnam, Civil Rights etc but these events are a not just shoe horned in, they are an organic part of the story..

The characters are so realistically drawn and relatable. The book is well written in a straightforward way, no gimmicks, no dual time lines. We do hear about the pasts of the older characters especially Everett who is Cal's dad but it is woven seamlessly into the story. Everett reminds me of Nicky Pearson in the TV series This Is Us. In fact, I suppose the book is a bit like that series but told without so many flashbacks.

The pace never flags, there are so many interesting events and there are many emotional truths. There are lovely moments of ordinary kindness which impact on people's lives. Near the end, the Felix events moved me to tears.

My only complaint is that the book ends too soon - I would have liked to stay with Cal for another few years. I assume the book is called Buckeye, not so much because this is Tom's nickname but because it is a nickname for people from Ohio..

It is a long time since I read such a satisfying book.

I absolutely loved this book! It was so readable that I never once felt my attention wander. The words just flowed for me. I really liked the way Cal and Margaret are introduced in the first part of the story, and how the narrative then centres on the four main characters of Tom, Cal, Margaret, and Becky spanning from the beginning of the Second World War through to later decades.

The main themes include motherhood, grief, spiritualism, PTSD, war, social conformity, relationships, love, friendship, and parenthood. The novel weaves in the impact of both the Second World War and the Vietnam War, showing the lasting effects on those involved.

The characters were so well developed that I found myself genuinely caring about them. I especially enjoyed watching Everett’s character develop, alongside Tom and Skip. The pacing felt perfect and the writing had a lyrical quality. The setting was beautifully and tragically described, which added so much to my enjoyment.

This was my first time reading Patrick Ryan, and I’m pleased to discover he’s written many other books. There were so many moments in this novel that made me smile or feel deeply emotional. I wholeheartedly recommend it. I'll be thinking about this book for a while.

I received an Advance Review Copy from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

I enjoyed this family saga set in a small town in Ohio. Covering the years between the Second World War and the end of the Vietnam War we follow the lives of Cal and Becky and Margaret and Felix and their families. With its secrets and lies it's a gentle and poignant story that captures the times well. Thank you to the author, publisher and netGalley for an early read of 'Buckeye'.

A truly heartwrenching novel covering the time from the 2nd world war and the end of the Vietnam 1. Following two families whose lives are intertwined. It's a novelbwhich makes you think and wonder , What would I have done in their circumstances? I absolutely loved the story and would definitely recommend to everyone.

I was immediately drawn into this book, the setting, characters and storylines kept me reading. It’s beautifully written and very real. Also very sad, but ultimately a very satisfying read. I will look out for more from this author.