Entering the final quarter of 2025, we already may be thinking about our favorite books of the year. In addition to those that I have especially loved, I am eager to discover titles that others have found enjoyable. Almost always, there are a few that I am unfamiliar with, but I add them to my reading list because I’ve heard so much about them.

BUCKEYE has benefited from positive reviews, endorsements from well-known writers, and being selected by Jenna Bush Hager for her book club. With such sterling support, I decided to give this book a shot. It turned out to be quite a memorable reading experience.

"With believable characters, and a story of small-town America that reminds us that goodness can still be important in our lives, Patrick Ryan’s novel is a gratifying, entertaining and welcome reading experience."

Patrick Ryan has written the short story collections THE DREAM LIFE OF ASTRONAUTS, which was recognized by several publications as a Best Book of 2016, and SEND ME. His debut novel is a deeply moving journey that covers the post-World War I years, when the United States was adjusting to its new role in the world as an economic and political power; the Depression; World War II; and the Vietnam conflict. There are no heroes or evil figures here --- just people with recognizable human flaws. More than anything, this is a story of forgiveness.

The novel is situated in the small fictional town of Bonhomie, Ohio. As a Midwesterner, I can confidently say that Bonhomie could be in almost any state that touches a Great Lake. The characters are clearly developed, morally challenged and highly complex. For me, they brought back memories of one of my favorite novels, LONESOME DOVE, whose characters I truly cared about, and I became invested in their lives.

BUCKEYE begins on V-E Day. Cal Jenkins is a young resident of Bonhomie who, because of a physical birth defect, was ineligible for military service in WWII. He is working in a local hardware store when news of the Allies' acceptance of Germany's unconditional surrender, marking the end of the war, becomes clear to the citizens of his community. A female customer is so excited that she kisses him--- an otherwise fleeting moment that will remain in his memory for decades.

Cal is married to a woman with a spiritual gift: she can relate to the dead. He and Becky are one of two families whose lives form the backbone of the story told on these pages. Felix and Margaret Salt are not originally from Bonhomie, but Felix’s job promotion has brought them there. These two couples eventually find that their lives are connected by a deep secret. Readers will be drawn to the novel's simple but beautiful prose and its recreation of significant historical events from the sweep of American life.

BUCKEYE primarily is an observation on life and how it impacts all of us, whether for happiness or grief. As someone in the book states, “Life chewed you up and spat you out, but it didn’t often spit the same way twice.” With believable characters, and a story of small-town America that reminds us that goodness can still be important in our lives, Patrick Ryan’s novel is a gratifying, entertaining and welcome reading experience.