READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • “A small-town novel of epic proportions” (Tom Perrotta), this captivating story weaves the intimate lives of two midwestern families across generations, from World War II to the late twentieth century.

“I love this book with my entire heart.”—Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful

One town. Two families. A secret that changes everything.

In Bonhomie, Ohio, a stolen moment of passion, sparked in the exuberant aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe, binds Cal Jenkins, a man wounded not in war but by his inability to serve in it, to Margaret Salt, a woman trying to obscure her past. Cal’s wife, Becky, has a spiritual gift: She is a seer who can conjure the dead, helping families connect with those they’ve lost. Margaret’s husband, Felix, is serving on a Navy cargo ship, out of harm’s way—until a telegram suggests that the unthinkable might have happened.

Later, as the country reconstructs in the postwar boom, a secret grows in Bonhomie—but nothing stays buried forever in a small town. Against the backdrop of some of the most transformative decades in modern America, the consequences of that long-ago encounter ripple through the next generation of both families, compelling them to reexamine who they thought they were and what the future might hold.

Sweeping yet intimate, rich with piercing observation and the warmth that comes from profound understanding of the human spirit, Buckeye captures the universal longing for love and for goodness. - (Random House, Inc.)

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* This quietly affecting and nuanced story, about small town life in twentieth-century U.S., centers around two married couples. There's Cal, born in 1920, with one leg two inches shorter than the other, the only surviving son of an embittered WWI veteran suffering from PTSD. Cal grows up and marries the first woman he ever kisses, Becky, a slightly eccentric, only daughter who has often-doubted-but-authentic psychic gifts. Then there's Margaret, a strikingly beautiful, self-possessed orphan who was abandoned as an infant, married to her equally attractive husband, Felix. They all live in Bonhomie, Ohio, a typical Midwestern town that looks to Columbus as the epitome of big city sophistication. Courtships, weddings, children (boys perfectly nicknamed Skip and Buckeye), joys and tragedies, betrayals and secrets, all evolve through WWII, McCarthyism, the Korean and Vietnam wars. The main characters are fully developed, minor characters memorably come to life, and the historical and social contexts, whether the subject is clothing and hairstyles or word choices and political opinions, ring true. The narrative deftly blends in surprising twists and insights as it follows seemingly ordinary people living seemingly typical lives, resulting in a tale that comes across as absolutely authentic and deeply satisfying. Copyright 2025 Booklist Reviews.

Library Journal Reviews

Ryan (The Dream Life of Astronauts: Stories), former associate editor of Granta and current editor of the literary magazine One Story, makes his novel debut with this work about two families in small-town Bonhomie, OH; it spans from World War II to the late 20th century. Prepub Alert. Copyright 2025 Library Journal

Library Journal Reviews

Ryan's (The Dream Life of Astronauts: Stories) sweeping literary historical novel examines the intertwined lives of two families in the small town of Bonhomie, OH. The first family is that of Cal Jenkins, who was born in 1920 with one leg shorter than the other, lost his mother at a young age, and was neglected by his father. Life later surprises him with marriage to a pretty woman, a job in her father's hardware store, and soon, an infant son. Cal's only discomfort comes from his wife's dabbling in spiritualism and communicating with the dead. The second family is that of Margaret Salt, who grew up in orphanages and foster homes. Her luck changes when she marries good-looking and successful Felix, though she tries to ignore their lack of sexual spark. When the U.S. enters World War II, Cal's disability keeps him at home in Bonhomie, while Felix enlists in the armed forces and gradually comes to terms with his sexuality. Felix's long absence and a rift in the Jenkins marriage throw Margaret and Cal together for a brief affair, which results in her being pregnant and full of conflict as Felix returns home. VERDICT An old-fashioned novel in the best sense: it's expansive, generously paced, and full of sympathetic, well-rounded characters experiencing the joys and sorrows of everyday life.—Barbara Love