Welcome to Litsy!

I have two books to go from my #10beforetheend list - this one and I Who Have Never Known Men - and besides from the book on UPF they‘ve all been great! 🤍

Through the 1940s, 50s, 60s and more, this story traces the lives of Cal, Becky, Felix and Margaret, as their lives connect and come apart and connect again. Richly drawn multi-generational characters, secrets and love bring these four people to life. Taking place in small town Ohio, I felt as though I lived in that town, observing all the action as a bystander. Beautifully written, not one false note.

I thoroughly enjoyed this immersive, sweeping historical novel set in 1920s to 80s Ohio. Clean writing and great story-telling that reveals the drama behind the lives of ordinary people. All face problems in their marriages and/or society & the war affects them. Compassionate but restrained, with a few emotional moments. The characters & scenes feel real.

Love love loved this book. It had all of my favorite elements, generational families, coming of age, character driven, emotional. I read this for The Great Midwest book club on Instagram. The author joined our zoom and gave so much delightful insight into the care he took delivering these characters to us. He is also friends with Ann Patchett, omg. ❤️ 📚

I love Debbie Macomber's cozy, easy-flowing stories when life gets hectic.

86/80

June #DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks

#ReadingMyTBR #Read2025 @DieAReader

Finally getting around to my June #BookSpin

Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan (2025)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Premise: Over the course of four decades, secrets connect and divide two families in a small Ohio city

Review: There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of novels telling the ‘Story of America‘ in the 20th C, so any novel that does this today needs to do it really, really well, in order to make its mark. And this does just that. ⬇️

A character-driven novel about two families in Ohio, with a narrative arc that spans 50 years from pre-WWII to the 1980s-ish. It‘s about choices made and secrets kept, and the long-term ramifications of said decisions. This quote sums it up best: “Wasn‘t it a fair measure of a person, what they did with their mistakes?” I enjoyed this book; the characters were flawed and things were not wrapped up with a neat bow. Just like real life.

Excellent read. Two families that become entwined. Margaret the adopted girl who cannot live peacefully and Cal who cannot enlist in WW11 bc of his one short leg. Set in Ohio, this story goes through time and is a story about friendship, love, loss and secrets. Excellent.

Chris Whitaker said glowing things about this novel at the National Book Festival so I purchased it immediately. This story spans decades & centers around characters I grew to care for. The damage that war creates, the need to hide your sexual identity, the repercussions of being an orphan, a woman who talks with spirits, & an affair that ties two families together are all part of the story. Forgiveness is the ultimate message. I really liked it.