by Patrick Ryan
First published 2025
In Bonhomie, Ohio, the celebration of Allied victory in Europe brings together Cal Jenkins and Margaret Salt in a moment that will haunt two families for decades. Cal carries the wounds of a man who couldn't serve his country in war. Margaret hides secrets from her past. Cal's wife Becky possesses an unusual gift as a seer who helps grieving families speak with their dead. Margaret's husband Felix serves aboard a Navy cargo ship until a telegram threatens to shatter her world. Their brief encounter plants a secret in the small town's soil. As America rebuilds itself through the postwar boom, that secret grows and spreads through the next generation of both families. The children must confront truths their parents buried and decide what kind of future they want to build. This multigenerational story spans from World War II to the late twentieth century, following ordinary people through some of America's most transformative decades. At its heart lies the eternal human search for love and goodness.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, secrets
Setting: Bonhomie, Ohio
Period: World War II, Postwar
464 pages · Hardcover · Bloomsbury Publishing