Fictionophile

Set in the American Midwest, this novel is rich in setting and characters. Is serves as an astute observation of small town America, with emphasis on complex human interactions, moral dilemmas, and emotionally moving situations.

Buckeye takes place over several decades and multiple generations. It highlights major world events and how those events impact upon the average citizens.

There are four central characters. Cal Jenkins, whom we follow from childhood. Cal was born with one leg a few inches shorter than the other. When his mother dies when Cal is only twelve, it leaves just he and his father, a man who copes with his own war trauma by turning to alcohol. Cal’s deformity makes him the subject of ridicule in school and ultimately precludes his participation in WWII. We follow Cal as he marries and becomes a father himself. Cal’s wife, Becky Jenkins, is a spiritual medium. She has a genuine gift that enables her to commune with the spirits of those who have passed from this mortal coil. Cal doesn’t understand Becky’s proclivities/abilities, which puts a strain upon their already distant marriage.

Margaret Salt (probably my personal favourite character), was abandoned on the steps of an orphanage in the 1920s. We follow her life through various foster placements, her various jobs and sexual relationships, up to her marriage and ultimately, motherhood. Margaret is married to Felix Salt, a man who is gay, but is in denial of his own sexuality. When Felix goes off to war in the 1940s, he joins the navy and falls in love with one of his shipmates.

Meanwhile, Margaret is left alone during the war and is bone crushingly lonely. She meets and has a relationship with a man who works at the local hardware store, Cal Jenkins.

The decisions and actions of the four adults are examined at length. The novel showcases how their lives will impact upon their sons in the future. Repercussions that last for decades.

With themes of war trauma, spiritualism, regret, social ostracism, societal expectations, marital struggles, and parental obligations, this makes for a memorable reading experience.

“What is it about time that confounds us? We spend it. We save it. We while it away. We waste it. We kill it. We complain about not having enough of it, or about having too much of it on our hands. We regret what we’ve done with it. We give it away. We want it back. We say ‘time and again’ when something is bothering us and ‘it’s time’ when something is supposed to end. …all we should ever want of time is more of it.”

This seemed quite a lengthy story. I listened to the audiobook which ran for almost 16 hours. The print version is 452 pages long. I think the novel’s pacing makes it seem longer than it actually was…

The audiobook narrator, Michael Crouch, did an excellent job of bringing the story to life in a vivid way.

“Buckeye” is a multi-generational family drama that is steeped in American history. Those who have an avid interest in the topic will cherish the read. The characters, though flawed in various ways, were all people who the reader can connect with and empathize with. It provided an eloquent rendering of the pivotal moments in the lives of it’s characters.

In all, a slow paced literary novel, infused with authentic characters, empathetic situations, and eloquent writing. Recommended!

Patrick Ryan was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up on Merritt Island, Florida. He’s a graduate of Florida State University and Bowling Green State University’s Creative Writing Program in Ohio.

His novel Buckeye was published by Random House in September of 2025. It became a New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna pick, Amazon’s Best Book of 2025, a Barnes & Noble National Book Club Selection, a finalist for Barnes & Noble’s Book of the Year, and a Book-of-the-Month Club Selection. Buckeye is published by Bloomsbury in the U.K. and currently has eighteen international publishers. It is a finalist for the Ohio Book Award and has been longlisted for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award.

His first book, the linked story collection Send Me (Dial Press, 2006) and was chosen for Barnes and Noble’s Discovery Series. His second collection, The Dream Life of Astronauts (Dial Press, 2016) was named one of the Best Books of the Year by the St. Louis Times-Dispatch, LitHub, and Electric Literature, and was long-listed for The Story Prize.

The former associate editor of Granta, Patrick is the editor-in-chief of One Story. He lives in Manhattan.

Michael Crouch is an award-winning voice actor based in New York City. His audiobook narration has garnered numerous industry accolades, including Audie Awards, over forty Earphones Awards, and a Golden Voice honor from AudioFile Magazine. He can also be heard on national commercials, video games, educational programs, and the animé series Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon.