Minnie's Fiction Addiction

👀 First impressions:
Buckeye opens in Bonhomie, Ohio, in the charged emotional aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe. A fleeting moment of passion between Cal Jenkins and Margaret Salt sets the course for decades of consequence. Cal is marked by his inability to serve in the war, while Margaret is desperate to keep her own past hidden. Around them orbit their spouses, Becky, who possesses an uncanny gift for communing with the dead, and Felix, a Navy man whose fate hangs terrifyingly uncertain. What begins as an intimate personal story gradually expands into a multi generational exploration of secrecy, identity and the long shadow of history.

✅ What I Liked:
Patrick Ryan excels at capturing the texture of small town life and the way private choices become communal truths over time. The postwar setting is richly drawn, grounding the novel in a period of rebuilding and quiet reinvention. The characters feel deeply human, shaped as much by regret and longing as by love. Becky’s spiritual gift adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, blurring the boundary between the living and the dead in a way that feels symbolic rather than fantastical. The novel’s greatest strength lies in how it traces the ripple effects of one moment across generations, showing how the past refuses to stay contained.

❎ What I didn’t Like:
The pacing is measured and occasionally slow, particularly in the middle sections where the novel lingers in reflection. Readers looking for sharp plot turns may find the story too restrained. With such a broad cast, some secondary characters feel less fully developed, serving the themes more than the emotional core.

📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
If you enjoy literary fiction that spans decades and examines how history shapes personal lives, Buckeye is a rewarding read. It will appeal to readers who appreciate character driven storytelling, moral complexity and novels that quietly build emotional weight over time. This is a book that values accumulation and consequence over spectacle.

💭 Final Thoughts:
Buckeye is a thoughtful and resonant novel about how secrets bind families together as much as they pull them apart. Its power lies in its patience, trusting the reader to see how small moments echo across years. Subtle, emotionally grounded and deeply reflective, it is a story about who we become in the wake of choices we thought were fleeting.

🛍️ Where to buy
To buy your own copy click HERE and HERE

Final Rating ★★★★ – A beautifully observed meditation on legacy and truth