Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

Buckeye is the story of two families as their lives intertwine through the generations from WWII until the seventies. Set in Ohio, Ryan uses Midwest tendencies brilliantly as this book convey relatable circumstances and characters that echo sentiments that have long been held by this region (I can say this as I live in the Midwest). The characters are humble and worry about their importance in their community. Ryan explores the complicated relationships of people who desperately want to be loved, but are denied the opportunities. Margaret is an orphan who was “returned” by various foster families and found that sex provided her the comfort of desire, but not love. Felix struggles with his sexuality, so he seeks marriage that provides comfort rather than love. Margaret and Felix are broken people who think that their marriage to each with make their lives better. Instead, the marriage illuminates the aspects of love that they never considered. Ryan highlights that love is not easy, and it complicates life more than it brings happiness to life.

Cal’s deformity keeps him from military service, but he has always felt that he was not enough, and quickly settled for a marriage to a woman that didn’t feel worthy of. Fearful of never being loved, Cal rushes into his marriage with Becky. Furthermore, Ryan’s characters fall into a pattern of not feeling worthy of a passionate love and settling for what seems attainable. This love provides a foundation, but is never fulfilling. Cal, Felix, Margaret all look outside of their marriage for a responsive love. During reckless moments, Cal fathers Margaret’s son that she passes off as Felix’s son. This secret binds the families forever, but it threatens to destroy them.

Ryan allows these characters to struggle with the betrayal and shows the audience how betrayal can decimate one family, while another family can choose to move on. Each person evolves and views love and family differently as the maneuver through life. Ryan captures the feelings of inadequacies that plagues people. There are authentic doubts about value and love within one’s life, and Ryan masterfully captures the essence of these characters that reside in us all.

Additionally, Ryan scrutinizes the power of a secret. Many believe that if a secret stays hidden, then life can maintain the status quo. In the novel, characters share a secret, but they all have different ideas about how to deal with that secret. Some characters want to be honest, while other characters would be perfectly happy to take the secret to their grave.