Buckeye (2025) is bestselling historical fiction by Patrick Ryan.

No car crashes. No murders. Everyday suburban life, for the most part.

Listening to this book is relaxing.

It’s long. But so fast paced that I never found it to drag.

NPR: “A superb novel… captures both the sweep of history and the mundane”

… an intergenerational family saga set in the fictional small town of Bonhomie, Ohio.

Spanning roughly 60 years—from just before World War II to the early 1980s—it traces the interwoven lives of two families bound by a long-held secret.

• The Plot: The story begins on the day of the Allied victory in Europe. An impulsive, life-altering moment between Cal Jenkins and Margaret Salt creates a secret that echoes through their lives and the next generation.
• Key Characters:
  • Cal Jenkins: A man unable to serve in WWII due to a physical disability (one leg shorter than the other), which leaves him with a sense of failure.
  • Becky Jenkins: Cal’s wife, a “seer” with a spiritual gift for communicating with the dead.
  • Margaret Salt: A woman attempting to outrun a mysterious past.
  • Felix Salt: Margaret’s husband, serving in the Navy, who carries his own secret regarding his identity.
• Major Themes: The narrative explores forgiveness, the long-term consequences of secrets, the ripple effects of war (from WWI to Vietnam), and the complexities of small-town life.

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