Patrick Ryan, ‘Buckeye’ - The Girlfriend Author Interview (February 2026)
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In this Girlfriend Book Club author talk, executive editor Shelley Emling sits down with novelist Patrick Ryan to discuss Buckeye, a sweeping, character-driven story of two families in a small Ohio town across four decades. Ryan shares the real-life spark that launched the novel, why he invented the town to keep the world believable without being constrained by geography, and which emotionally charged scenes demanded the most “slow writing.” He also talks about crafting complex characters like Margaret and Becky, why themes of grief, forgiveness, and the passage of time shaped the book’s ending, and what he’s reading (and recommending) now.
In this Girlfriend Book Club author talk, executive editor Shelley Emling sits down with novelist Patrick Ryan to discuss Buckeye, a sweeping, character-driven story of two families in a small Ohio town across four decades. Ryan shares the real-life spark that launched the novel, why he invented the town to keep the world believable without being constrained by geography, and which emotionally charged scenes demanded the most “slow writing.” He also talks about crafting complex characters like Margaret and Becky, why themes of grief, forgiveness, and the passage of time shaped the book’s ending, and what he’s reading (and recommending) now.