Once in a while, mistakes happen. I mention this mistake because it testifies to something powerful about Patrick Ryan’s new novel, Buckeye .

When I made a late request for an advance review copy of Buckeye, the copy I received looked fine, but when I opened it I realized it was mistakenly bound backwards. The title page was at the very end of this over-450-page novel.

So, as a kind of brain exercise, I began reading Buckeye backwards, my head moving from right to left. By page 9, I was already so caught up in the world Ryan creates, Buckeye could have been misprinted upside down and sideways and I still wouldn’t have been able to put it down.

The novel ‘Buckeye’ explores forgiveness, war and a forbidden kiss

NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly speaks to author Patrick Ryan about his new n

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