Buckeye

By: Patrick Ryan

Narrated by: Michael Crouch

Bloomsbury presents Buckeye by Patrick Ryan, read by Michael Crouch

‘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

‘Funny and tender ... Patrick Ryan has long been one of my favourite writers’ ANN PATCHETT

‘I love this novel with my entire heart … Wise and heartbreaking’ ANN NAPOLITANO

May, 1945. As news of the Allied victory in Europe reaches the small town of Bonhomie, Ohio, a woman named Margaret Salt walks into a hardware store and asks the man behind the counter, Cal Jenkins, for a radio. What happens next will change both of their lives forever.

While the country reconstructs in the post-war boom, a secret grows in Bonhomie – and nothing can remain hidden in a small town. The consequences of that long-ago encounter will intertwine the fates of two families, rippling through the next generation and compelling them to re-examine who they thought they were and what the future might hold.

Full of compassion, humour and charm, Buckeye is a dazzling portrait of the human spirit by way of one unforgettable community; the twisted roads we take to achieve forgiveness and redemption; and above all a universal longing for love and connection.

©2025 Patrick Ryan (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

'Heartfelt and at times harrowing, Buckeye is both an absorbing portrait of an American past and a sympathetic exploration of what continues to sustain us – and to plague us. There are no heroes or villains in Patrick Ryan's wonderful novel, only recognisably human creatures, each one of them drawn with refreshing honesty; each one flawed, noble, confused, passionate, lonely, loving, and, above all, real' (Alice McDermott, author of ABSOLUTION)

'Offers just about everything I look for in a great story: a vivid setting, historical sweep, rich characters who break your heart even as they make you laugh - and all of this in abundance' (Richard Russo, author of EMPIRE FALLS and the NORTH BATH trilogy)

Beautiful story of longing and belonging

An epic and oh so timely reflection on the impact of both individual and external events of last century on two families in Middle America. Beautifully and gently told.

Read it. Now.

Oh I loved this book. Beautifully written. Fabulous characters and just a great book. I want more!