Buckeye
by Patrick Ryan
Buy on AmazonNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • A “mesmerizing” (People) novel that weaves the intimate lives of two midwestern families across generations, from World War II to the late twentieth century. “A glorious sweep of a novel.”—Ann Patchett “Captivating.”—The New York Times Book Review “A once-in-a-decade novel . . . I fell in love with these characters.”—Jenna Bush Hager One town. Two families. A secret that changes everything. In Bonhomie, Ohio, a stolen moment of passion, sparked in the exuberant aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe, binds Cal Jenkins, a man wounded not in war but by his inability to serve in it, to Margaret Salt, a woman trying to obscure her past.…
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"Where else would a novel called Buckeye be set but in Ohio? Its title, however, is the only expected thing about this moving historical narrative, which follows the lives of two intertwined couples in the fictional small town of Bonhomie from pre-World War II to the close of the 20th century. Patrick Ryan, whose previous books include the standout 2016 short story collection The Dream Life of Astronauts, aims to write an American epic and he has the chops to do so, even channeling Herman Wouk to take readers into the thick of naval battles in the Pacific."
NPR Books We Love — 2025 · apps.npr.org
"Golden Voice Narrator Michael Crouch brings his expert skills to this complex historical drama. While WWII still rages in the Pacific, a secret spanning generations begins in Bonhomie, Ohio. Cal Jenkins and Margaret Salt, who are married to other people, share a kiss in a hardware store upon the news of victory over Germany, and this starts a massive trickle-down effect throughout generations of their two families. Crouch’s smooth narration powerfully dramatizes how one moment can change everything. (15.75 hours)"
The Best Fiction Audiobooks of 2025 · fivebooks.com