Propelled by an irresistible cast of characters, Buckeye is a warm, funny and emotionally affecting novel about marriage and family, connection and community, set in a small town in the American Midwest

‘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

In the small Ohio town of Bonhomie, Cal Jenkins and Margaret Salt come together in a stolen moment of passion, sparked in the exuberant aftermath of the Allied victory in Europe. Cal’s wife, Becky, has a spiritual gift: she is a seer who can conjure the dead, helping families connect with those whom they’ve lost. Margaret’s husband, Felix, is serving on a Navy cargo ship; she will soon learn that he may have perished in a predawn attack in the Philippine Sea.

But in a small town, nothing stays buried forever, and the consequences of that encounter will ripple through the next generation of both families, 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 an unforgettable community: of hopes and fears, loves and losses, and above all an indomitable longing for connection.