Buckeye: A Read with Jenna Pick

A Novel

By: Patrick Ryan

Narrated by: Michael Crouch

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • “A glorious sweep of a novel” (Ann Patchett) that weaves the intimate lives of two midwestern families across generations, from World War II to the late twentieth century.

“Mesmerizing.”—People
“Captivating.”—The New York Times Book Review
“A once-in-a-decade novel . . . I fell in love with these characters.”—Jenna Bush Hager

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, NPR, People, Minnesota Star Tribune, New York Post, Chicago Public Library

FINALIST FOR THE OHIO BOOK AWARD • LONGLISTED FOR THE JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE AND THE MARK TWAIN AMERICAN VOICE IN LITERATURE AWARD

That, as he saw it now, was his life’s work: trying to make right what he’d gotten wrong. Wasn’t that a fair measure of a person, what they did with their mistakes?

In the jubilant aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe, Cal Jenkins, a man wounded not in war but by his inability to serve in it, shares a single, life-altering moment with Margaret Salt, a woman determined to outrun her past. Cal is married to Becky, whose spiritual gifts help the living speak to the dead, while Margaret’s husband, Felix, is serving at sea, believed to be safe—until a telegram suggests otherwise.

What begins as a fleeting transgression becomes a complex secret that irrevocably binds all four of them in unexpected ways. As their small Ohio town remakes itself in the postwar boom, the Salt and Jenkins families remain in each other’s orbit, and the consequences of choices made long ago begin to emerge, reshaping their lives in ways that will forever impact the next generation.

Sweeping yet intimate, resplendent with moments of deep emotion and unforgettable characters, Buckeye is a transportive story of love, loyalty, sacrifice, and forgiveness.

A bland story well told

I found the characters well developed and I enjoyed the historical framing. The story itself was too bland for my liking.

Middle America Mid-Century zeitgeist.

Spectacular storytelling. Narrator is pitch perfect. This story in Midwest between WWII and the end of the Vietnam War is a masterful remembrance of an America gone by.

Best book ever!

I didn’t want it to end! Couldn’t stop listening. Made me smile and cry. Mr Ryan please write another book!

Enjoyed this very much

This was a very pleasant listen, I cared about the characters quite a bit, it gets a little melancholy near the end.

Life Lessons

Expect to cry. Expect to examine every major decision you've ever made in your life. Expect to examine every significant relationship you've ever had. Finally, expect to be moved to stay or get in contact with important people who've been a part of your life.