Buckeye: A Read with Jenna Pick

I haven’t read a book like this in a long time. It’s one of those thick books you actually hate starting because you know it will either take forever to finish, or the book will finish you. The story is set in Ohio, USA, more specifically in Columbus and Bonhomie. It begins with a guy named Cal, who was born with one shorter leg. Half of his family is already buried, and his father (definitely a case for the clinic after the First World War) lives alone, collecting garbage. Cal marries a girl named Becky, who, even as a child, noticed she could hear or feel the presence of dead people she knew. During their marriage, she begins helping others connect with loved ones most of whom died during the First and Second World Wars. Meanwhile, in the township of Doyle, Ohio, lives Margaret. She dreams of moving to Columbus when she turns 18. After successfully making the move and finding a job, she meets her future husband, who never really understood what was going on in his head. These two couples will eventually cross paths and make the biggest mistake of their lives. One they will carry with them, desperately trying to hide. But what kind of life is it when something is eating you from the inside out because of the secrets you keep? Margaret’s story reminded me so much of Sidney Sheldon’s books. It’s the kind of story about people who leave their small towns in search of themselves in a big city, chasing success or fame. It’s very much like A Stranger in the Mirror by Sidney Sheldon. As you read this book, you’ll see and feel how the characters change and grow on you. In the end, Cal's father became one of my favorite characters. :)