I've been yearning for a novel that connects the American generations who dealt with our two Wars – one of Omaha Beach, the other of the Ia Drang Valley. Buckeye is that book, and it soars

Tom Hanks

Written in the key of Dickens ... This widescreen yet intimate tapestry is masterfully woven together and Ryan succeeds in a conjuring a believable story of love (of all kinds) in a time of tension and conflict ... Recalls the early novels of John Irving. The triumph of his book is the way it captures the nature of mistakes, both the holes dug and the bridges built. It's not just a great Midwestern novel, it's a great novel, period

Financial Times

Patrick Ryan's emotionally engaging and psychologically astute novel follows two couple over the course of 30 years … The protagonists deal with the moral complexities of war, grief, parenthood and sexuality, in a beautifully observed and deeply affecting novel

Observer

A family saga, a ghost story, an affair novel and a social history rolled into one ... The novel is both ambitious in scope and startlingly nimble, a story that tackles dark times with lightness and compassion

Irish Times

A poignant, powerful exploration of small-town America

Independent, BOOK OF THE MONTH

A gentle, humane family saga of quiet competence and occasional grace ... An affectionate portrait

Mail on Sunday