Buckeye. One town. Two families. A secret that changes everything
Patrick Ryan
Synopsis "Buckeye. One town. Two families. A secret that changes everything"
Cal Jenkins, wounded not in war but by his inability to serve in it, aspires to live a quiet, honest life in Bonhomie, Ohio. His wife Becky – intuitive, whimsical – senses danger long before she understands its shape. Across town, Margaret Salt carries secrets she’s spent a lifetime burying, while her husband Felix tries desperately to be the man the world insists he must be.
Everything changes on V-E Day, when a single, stolen moment binds all four of them together. As wartime gives way to an uneasy peace, the consequences of that day ripple forward, pulling the next generation into its undertow.
But in a small town where nothing stays hidden, how long can the truth stay buried?
I’ve been yearning for a novel that connects the American generations who dealt with our two Wars – one of Omaha Beach, the other of the Ia Drang Valley. Buckeye is that book, and it soars - Tom Hanks
This widescreen yet intimate tapestry is masterfully woven together and Ryan succeeds in a conjuring a believable story of love (of all kinds) in a time of tension and conflict ... It’s not just a great Midwestern novel, it’s a great novel, period - Financial Times
A poignant, powerful exploration of small-town America - Independent
[A] luminous and tender 20th-century saga of wounded souls and small-town secrets ... Buckeye is elevated throughout by the precision with which [Ryan] captures the tiny, haunting glories of everyday suburban life ... Ryan’s characters are universally nuanced and finely wrought, their gently interpolated inner monologues giving the lie to the pleasant respectability they strive to project - A.K. Blakemore, Guardian
Patrick Ryan’s emotionally engaging and psychologically astute novel follows two couple over the course of 30 years … The protagonists deal with the moral complexities of war, grief, parenthood and sexuality, in a beautifully observed and deeply affecting novel - Observer
A gentle, humane family saga of quiet competence and occasional grace ... An affectionate portrait - Mail on Sunday
The world Ryan creates is complex and detailed. The people of Bonhomie are filled in with precise, economical details, and the passage of time skilfully handled … The assurance of the debut is astonishing … The quality of his writing is what really sustains the momentum. This is sweeping-family-saga stuff, but the writing is crisp and witty, with a nicely-judged balance of intimacy and distance - Irish Independent
