This book isn't for the fainthearted, it is a long, although beautifully written, saga of two families stretching four decades, the timeline is interesting following important events that occurred in that era. Cal Jenkins didn't have a good start in life, born with one leg two inches shorter than the other, many things were off limits for him, it was brought home sharply when war broke out and he was unable to enlist. Nevertheless, Cal fell in love with and married Becky Hanover whose father owned the hardware store in Bonhomie, a small mid west town. Becky was thought strange by a lot of people, she was able to contact the dead, she didn't charge for her services because it brought comfort and closure to a lot of people. Skip was born a short time later, their family was complete, Becky was warned by the doctor not to have any more children. Margaret Anderson had been abandoned as a baby, brought up in an orphanage, Margaret was determined to forge a future for herself. Margaret met and married handsome Felix Salt and shortly afterwards Felix enlisted in the navy. Felix returned home battered and traumatised, his ship had sunk, many lives were lost......Tom was born nine months later. Skip and Tom were at school together and although Skip was older he was very protective of the much smaller Tom and they became friends, their families were intrinsically entwined. Patrick Ryan's timeline follows the lives of ordinary people as they face the trauma of wars, it has friendships, love, lies, betrayal and secrets, he addresses many emotive subjects with sensitivity. This is a very well written book with well rounded characters and historical facts, perhaps a little too long for me but it was worth the time it took me to read it. Thank you Net Gallery and publishers for this ARC, this review is totally voluntary.

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.

Buckeye is a wonderful, sweeping, family saga. This is such an absorbing story about two Ohio families forever linked by a chance event. The written is exquisite, the characterisation is wonderful, and the imaginary is vivid. It’s everything I love from a book!

I was sent an advance proof copy of Buckeye by Patrick Ryan to read and review by NetGalley. This is a novel full of American history and family relationships which spans many decades. I did finish the book and can see why it has so many accolades but personally I found it, even though well written, rather flat regarding atmosphere and emotion, almost as though it was a book of facts rather than a novel. I also found it to be overly long. I read to the end as much to finish it rather than really wanting to know what happened. It’s a shame as I was really looking forward to reading it and maybe had I picked it up at another time I would have felt differently about it. I have still given a rating of 4 stars as I think that despite my own feelings it is certainly worth more than just 3 overall.

I was intrigued by the premise of Buckeye, although I hadn’t heard of Patrick Ryan before, so I decided to give it a try. Overall, I enjoyed the read, though I found the pacing a little uneven in places and felt it could have benefited from some judicious pruning. The story centres around two couples—Cal and Becky, and Margaret and Felix—whose lives intersect during World War II and again during America’s involvement in Vietnam. On the surface, their only connection is the friendship between their sons, but a buried secret threatens to unravel both marriages. Cal, unable to serve due to a physical deformity, remains home while Felix joins the Navy aboard a cargo ship. Years later, their sons follow in their fathers’ footsteps, serving in Vietnam, echoing the generational weight of war and consequence. Buckeye is a quietly ambitious novel that explores how personal choices reverberate across generations. Though its pacing may test some readers’ patience, the emotional depth and historical scope make it a rewarding read for those who appreciate character-driven storytelling with a touch of the uncanny.