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Buckeye

The international bestseller: 'It soars' Tom Hanks

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Buckeye

By: Patrick Ryan
Narrated by: Michael Crouch
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Summary

 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. Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Small Town & Rural Funny Heartfelt War
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Critic Reviews

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)
Patrick Ryan’s emotionally engaging and psychologically astute novel follows two couple over the course of 30 years … The protagonists deal with the moral complexities of war, grief, parenthood and sexuality, in a beautifully observed and deeply affecting novel
Warm-hearted … deftly captures the characters’ dreams and disappointments, while tackling big themes – forgiveness, loss, sexuality – with a gentle touch. A juicy slice of historical fiction, this immersive tale leaves you rooting for each character
Written in the key of Dickens ... This widescreen yet intimate tapestry is masterfully woven together and Ryan succeeds in a conjuring a believable story of love (of all kinds) in a time of tension and conflict ... Recalls the early novels of John Irving. The triumph of his book is the way it captures the nature of mistakes, both the holes dug and the bridges built. It’s not just a great Midwestern novel, it’s a great novel, period
A family saga, a ghost story, an affair novel and a social history rolled into one ... The novel is both ambitious in scope and startlingly nimble, a story that tackles dark times with lightness and compassion
A poignant, powerful exploration of small-town America
A gentle, humane family saga of quiet competence and occasional grace ... An affectionate portrait
The world Ryan creates is complex and detailed. The people of Bonhomie are filled in with precise, economical details, and the passage of time skilfully handled … The assurance of the debut is astonishing … The quality of his writing is what really sustains the momentum. This is sweeping-family-saga stuff, but the writing is crisp and witty, with a nicely-judged balance of intimacy and distance
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)
A glorious sweep of a novel, full of love and war and the perilous intimacies of small town life. It’s funny and tender, realistic and strange. Patrick Ryan has long been one of my favourite writers. I have a feeling that with this book he’s going to be everyone's favourite writer (Ann Patchett, author of THE DUTCH HOUSE and TOM LAKE)
All stars
Most relevant
A story that is rich, complex and rewarding. Wonderful flawed but loved characters that will stay with you. Small town middle American lives set against the trauma of mid century America. Highly recommend.

A Rare Gem of a read. Loved it.

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It was a great story that swept you through a history of so many things, it was a sweeping novel that was brilliantly written.
The author made you love the characters.

Fine Book

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What s treat! A story that spans wars and change. It’s full of heart and joy and sadness. A beautiful reading of s great book.

Moving and beautiful

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Such an amazing tale of complicated but real and loving families. It shows no family is without its secrets and stories.

Loved this book!!

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A heart warming story of ordinary people, the choices we make and roads we follow. The depth of these characters, their flaws and their struggles made the story feel so beautifully real. The look back at history was something I found myself wanting to know more about. I simply loved it. Beautifully written, almost poetic and a wonderful narration.

A beautifully told story

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