The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

  To explore the relationships of women, you might use knitting or book groups.  For men it might be -  baseball. The "guys" are all brought together at a small college in Wisconsin.  Henry is supposed to be the talented freshman shortstop star until an errant throw threatens to change everything.  His roommate Owen is athletic, brilliant and gay.  Senior Mike Swartz "discovered" Henry.  Life at Westish College is everything to Mike and reviving the baseball program his dream.  Westish President Guert Affenlight was an academic star there many years ago but his more recent life decisions may not be as smart.  Throw in a brilliant but quirky young woman, a guide to baseball entitled The Art of Fielding and a little Herman Melville and there you have it.   Challenging in a The World According to Garp kind of way and really not much about baseball at all.  I have a female friend who loved these characters so much, she has read the book twice and may read it again.  Would men see it differently?  Who knows?