If you’ve been hankering for a sweet summertime read, “More Than A Game” by Terence O’Leary is a sure bet. Set in Toledo, O’Leary’s book is at once simple and complex, taking on the drama-tic family interactions between a talented, 18-year-old high school graduate and the generations that have gone before him.

Baseball is something of a tradition in the McBride family, from Marty, a Korean War veteran, to his son, Kevin, a former pitcher for the Hens, to his grandson, Brian, who, driven by his father’s love of the game perhaps more than his own, has talent enough to go all the way. While the story begins in the depths of the Korean War, the majority of it is acted out in Toledo. Brian-recently graduated from high school-struggles with his conflicting desires to fulfill his father’s dream that he follow in his footsteps as a pro ball player and his own dream of pursuing a career in nanotechnology.

There are powerful forces working on both sides. Kevin, a talented ball player in his own right whose career was cut short by an unexpected turn of circumstance, envisions Brian’s college career as an athletic scholarship at a school with a strong baseball program. At the same time, Brian watches cancer eat away his grandfather’s strength and is overwhelmed by the desire to enter the field of nanotechnology, where he might find ways to alleviate the suffering involved in the wrenching disease. At graduation, Brian has already secured a scholarship to a university with an accredited program in nanotechnology and, with the encouragement of his mother (who is no stranger to aborted dreams) is struggling to find a way to tell Kevin of his plans. When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arises to spend a season with the Hens, however, the whole scenario changes.

Terence O’Leary spends Brian’s summer exploring the bonds between teammates, families and young lovers. You’re caught up in the story’s familiarity, not only because of the references to landmarks that any Toledoan would recognize, but also because of the interpersonal dynamics that anyone-regardless of origin-can appreciate. It’s about growing up and having been there, the first stretching of newly formed adulthood at 18 when you want it all but Fate says “Nope, it’s one or the other.”

A movie unfurled in my head as I read the last few chapters. The scene that O’Leary has been leading up to (yes, you can see it coming but is doesn’t matter. You’re still hooked) is set, and I found myself cheering along until the end. This book begs for a screenplay, which is exactly what O’Leary has in mind. O’Leary’s intention is to have Disney pick it up and film it right at Fifth Third Field. All I can say is: “GO HENS!”