The Art of Fielding A Novel

At Westish College, a small liberal arts school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom as an exceptional shortstop. When a routine throw goes disastrously off course, upending his quest to break a record for consecutive errorless games, the fates of five people are intertwined and changed forever. These individuals include Henry, who is forced to confront self-doubt that threatens his future; college president Guert Affenlight, who unexpectedly falls in love for the first time; Owen Dunne, Henry's gay roommate and teammate, who becomes involved in a dangerous affair; Mike Schwartz, the Harpooners' team captain and Henry's best friend, who realizes he has guided Henry's career at the expense of his own; and Pella Affenlight, Guert's daughter, who returns to Westish to start a new life after escaping a bad marriage. As the season nears its final, climactic game, these five characters must confront their deepest hopes, anxieties, and secrets, forging new bonds and helping one another find their true paths. The novel is an expansive, warmhearted story about ambition and its limits, family, friendship, love, and commitment.

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