THE ART OF FIELDING

by Chad Harbach
 
Incredibly popular when it was released in 2011,The Art of Fielding has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time.  It’s intimidatingly thick, and although I love baseball, I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit to such a long read on the topic.  But boy, was I ever missing out!
 
This book is extremely well written, the story well-structured with wonderful pacing and twists, and the characters are robustly drawn and compelling from top to bottom. Obviously baseball is a big part of the story, but Harbach made me care about it, indeed feel like an expert, in the same way Daniel James Brown did with rowing in The Boys in the Boat.
 
The story centers around a rookie shortstop, Henry Skrimshander, at a small Midwestern college who’s skill elevates the game in a way most people only dream about.  But as life gets complicated, so does the game.  Harbach also interweaves the stories of the college president, his daughter, the captain of the team, and Henry’s roommate until you feel you know every intimate detail of this little group.
 
If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and read this book! (Lily)