October Books & Banter Fiction Book Club: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

Books & Banter is our general fiction book club, focusing on great new reads that matter! THIS MONTH – we’re meeting on the 5th Tuesday (because our Alchemised release party is happening on the 4th Tuesday!)

As always, our book clubs are free and open to all, and the book club pick is 10% off the regular price. You bring the conversation, we’ll provide the treats!

This month’s pick is Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

One town. Two families. A secret that changes everything. In his sweeping new novel, Ryan transports readers to Bonhomie, Ohio, where the reverberations of a single choice ripple across generations. Described by Tom Perrotta as “a small-town novel of epic proportions,” Buckeye spans from the jubilant end of World War II to the close of the twentieth century, weaving together themes of love, betrayal, and
the weight of secrets too long kept.

It begins in 1945, when Cal Jenkins—wounded not by combat, but by his inability to serve—shares a fleeting, forbidden moment with Margaret Salt, a woman desperate to bury her past. Cal’s wife, Becky, is a seer with the uncanny ability to commune with the dead, while Margaret’s husband, Felix, is stationed safely on a Navy cargo ship—until a telegram suggests otherwise. What unfolds that summer sets in motion a story that will shape both the Jenkins and Salt families for decades to come.

As America rebuilds and reshapes itself in the postwar years, the hidden truth between these families festers beneath the surface of small-town life. But in a place where nothing remains secret forever, the past inevitably collides with the present, forcing the next generation to confront who they are, where they come from, and what their futures might hold.

Tender, evocative, and beautifully observed, Buckeye captures not only the spirit of a Midwestern town but also the universal longing for love, forgiveness, and belonging—making it a perfect choice for a rich book club discussion.