Book Review: Buckeye: The international bestseller: 'It soars' Tom Hanks Kindle Edition

Opening Hook

Imagine a small town in 1945 where the echoes of World War II victory are just beginning to fade, replaced by a quiet, simmering secret. Buckeye by Patrick Ryan is a masterclass in historical fiction that captures the delicate friction between public duty and private desire.

With high praise from icons like Tom Hanks, who noted that the prose "soars," this novel is quickly becoming a must-read for fans of sweeping family sagas. It is a story about how a single moment in a hardware store can ripple across decades, altering the DNA of an entire community.

---

About Patrick Ryan

Patrick Ryan is a celebrated novelist and short story writer known for his surgical precision in exploring the American psyche. He has a gift for finding the extraordinary within the mundane, a skill that has earned him accolades across the literary world.

As the former editor of One Story and a contributor to The New Yorker, Ryan brings a sophisticated editorial eye to his own fiction. His ability to balance intricate pacing with deep character studies makes him a formidable voice in contemporary literature.

---

What This Book Covers

The story begins in May 1945 in the fictional town of Bonhomie, Ohio, just as the Allied victory in Europe is announced. Margaret Salt walks into a hardware store to buy a radio from Cal Jenkins, sparking a connection that defies the rigid social structures of the era.

Key insight: "The loudest secrets are the ones kept in the smallest towns, where every silence is a conversation."

As the United States enters the post-war boom, the novel tracks the intertwining fates of the Salt and Jenkins families. It explores themes of historical memory, the cost of reconstruction, and the inescapable gravity of the past in a town that refuses to forget.

---

Key Takeaways

The novel offers a profound look at the American experience, distilled through the lens of a single Ohio town.

1. The Butterfly Effect of Choice - A simple transaction in 1945 sets off a chain reaction that lasts for generations.
2. Small-Town Surveillance - The book brilliantly portrays how "privacy" is an illusion in tight-knit communities.
3. Post-War Identity - It examines the psychological toll on those who stayed home while the world changed overseas.

---

Who Should Read This

If you appreciate literature that takes its time to build a world and inhabit its characters, this is for you.

• Fans of historical family sagas like those written by John Steinbeck or Marilynne Robinson.
• Readers who enjoy "small-town secrets" tropes with a literary, sophisticated edge.
• Anyone interested in the social history of the American Midwest during the 20th century.

Who Might Want to Skip

Readers looking for a fast-paced, plot-driven thriller might find the deliberate pacing of Buckeye a bit slow. This is a character study first and foremost, requiring patience and attention to detail.

---

How It Compares to Similar Books

In terms of tone and setting, Buckeye shares a spiritual connection with Marilynne Robinson's Gilead. Both books treat small-town life with a sense of sacred importance, though Ryan’s prose feels slightly more grounded and modern.

It also draws comparisons to Wallace Stegner’s Crossing to Safety. Like Stegner, Patrick Ryan excels at showing how friendships and marriages evolve under the pressure of time and shared history.

Finally, the post-war atmosphere echoes Richard Yates' Revolutionary Road, though Buckeye offers a more compassionate look at its characters' failings than Yates' biting cynicism.

---

Pros and Cons

What Works

• Atmospheric Prose: Ryan captures the scent of sawdust and the static of old radios with incredible sensory detail.
• Character Depth: Margaret and Cal are not just archetypes; they are flawed, breathing humans.
• Historical Accuracy: The transition from wartime austerity to the post-war boom feels authentic and well-researched.

What Could Be Better

• Pacing: The middle section of the book slows down significantly as it bridges the generational gap.
• Cast Size: Some readers may find the number of secondary family members difficult to track without a family tree.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'Buckeye' based on a true story?

While Bonhomie is a fictional town, the social dynamics and historical events are based on the real-world experiences of Midwesterners during the 1940s and 50s.

What does the title 'Buckeye' signify?

Beyond being the nickname for Ohio, it refers to the stubborn, rooted nature of the characters and the literal buckeye trees that populate the landscape of the novel.

Is this book part of a series?

No, Buckeye is a standalone novel that provides a complete, self-contained narrative arc across several decades.

How long does it take to read?

At a standard reading pace, most readers will finish this Kindle edition in about 8 to 10 hours, given its dense and rich prose.

Is there a lot of romance in the book?

While a central relationship drives the plot, it is more of a slow-burn drama than a traditional romance novel, focusing on the consequences of love rather than just the courtship.

---

Final Verdict

Buckeye is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of the American heartland. Patrick Ryan has crafted a story that feels both intimate and epic, proving that the smallest towns often hold the largest stories. It is a testament to the power of literary fiction to preserve the "unimportant" moments of history that define us all.

Rating: 4.5/5

"A story isn't just what happens; it's what we choose to remember about what happened. Buckeye reminds us that memory is the most powerful architect of all."