Whiz Kid by the father and son writing team of Joel and David S. Burcat
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Whiz Kid
WHIZ KID, by Joel Burcat and David S. Burcat, transports readers to 1950 Philadelphia, where Ben Green, a decorated World War II veteran from Camden, NJ, is completing his senior year at the University of Pennsylvania. A gifted writer, Ben dreams of becoming a novelist, but the weight of responsibility looms large. His closest friend and war buddy, Stan Ledyard, urges him to join his father’s powerful advertising firm in Center City. At home, Ben’s wife, Debby, hopes he will choose the security of that job—especially with their first child on the way—and leave behind their cramped apartment above her father’s button shop in South Philly’s bustling Jewish market, “The Zibbiter.”
While committed to finishing his novel, Ben becomes entangled with Ilene Van Cleve, a wealthy and charismatic classmate who tempts him with a life far from his working-class, Jewish upbringing. As Ben navigates this crossroads, he encounters both blatant antisemitism and the subtler prejudices of Philadelphia’s Main Line elite, as well as the harsh realities of racial injustice.
A comfortable future in advertising, complete with Main Line mansions and country clubs, lies within his grasp. Yet, his in-laws quietly nudge him toward a more traditional Jewish life, rooted in family and community.
Set against the electrifying backdrop of the Philadelphia Phillies’ underdog run to the 1950 World Series, Ben’s journey mirrors the broader struggles of a changing city and generation. WHIZ KID is a stirring coming-of-age story about ambition, loyalty, identity, personal sacrifice—and the price of following one’s dreams.
“Strong in mind and spirit, this one is an entertaining nugget, a tempest of emotion, worth every second of your time.” —Steve Berry, NY Times Best-Selling Author
“Whiz Kid is a heartfelt historical novel about identity and ambition that recreates in vivid detail post-war Philadelphia, particularly post-war Jewish Philadelphia and Camden. In this remarkable homage to his father Joel Burcat has fashioned a beautiful setting into which he has set the sparkling gem, the manuscript of a novel that his father had left him…[A] loving, beautiful work by his son.” —Howard Langer, winner of the 2025 National Jewish Book Award (Book Clubs)
“Father-and-son writing team Joel and the late David Burcat have crafted a novel rich with Philadelphia history and a heavy dose of baseball…A fresh, heartfelt take on the American dream and the golden era of the national pastime.” —KIRKUS Reviews
Whiz Kid is available at Sunbury Press.
Whiz Kid Author Joel Burcat
Joel Burcat is a master storyteller, delivering unforgettable novels driven by authenticity, intensity, and depth. John Lescroart (author of The 13th Juror) has said about Strange Fire that it “is complex and intelligent, deftly plotted and character rich.” William Landay (author of Defending Jacob) has said, “Burcat writes with an insider’s edge…A treat for thriller fans.”
His published shorter works range from thrillers about “the best beer I’ve ever had” to a middle-aged lawyer running off to Italy, jeopardizing the lives and careers of his young associates.
Burcat’s writings explore many facets of life, although he has a true fascination with unexpected twists. His characters’ reasons for doing things are as important as their actions. From the person lying in bed next to you to psychopathic strip mine operators, each has an underlying motive to be explored and revealed.
Five of Burcat’s novels have been published. DRINK TO EVERY BEAST, AMID RAGE, STRANGE FIRE (published by Headline Books), REAP THE WIND (published by Sunbury Books, Inc.) , and WHIZ KID: A NOVEL (published by Sunbury Books, Inc). They are available at bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble in paperback and electronic formats.
In addition to his fiction, Joel has co-edited the two pre-eminent books on environmental and oil and gas law in Pennsylvania. He co-edited seven editions of PENNSYLVANIA ENVIRONMENTAL LAW & PRACTICE (Pa. Bar Institute Press). In 1999, the second edition won the Outstanding Achievement Award in the Best Publication Category in the annual contest sponsored by the International Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLE).
He also co-edited the first two editions of THE LAW OF OIL AND GAS IN PENNSYLVANIA (Pa. Bar Institute Press). In 2015, the first edition won the Award of Outstanding Achievement in Publications in the annual contest sponsored by the ACLE.
Burcat grew up in Philadelphia. He lives with his wife in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the place that provides the setting for many of his stories.
Find out more on his Website.
Whiz Kid Author David S. Burcat
David S. Burcat was a Navy corpsman in World War II, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (English Literature and Dentistry), and a proud son of Camden NJ and his adopted town of Philadelphia. He worked in advertising in the 1950s before returning to Penn to study dentistry. From the 1960s until his retirement, he practiced dentistry in Lansdowne, Pa. He wrote Match Point, the novella within the novel, in about 1950. He was a Renaissance Man and loved working on cars, reading, Philly sports, classical music, playing the piano, and his wife (Joel’s Mom) Jessie. His favorite drink was a Bombay Saphire martini with olives, extra dry, shaken, with the rocks on the side. He died in 1998. Whiz Kid- A Novel is his first published book. Dave was the father of co-author, Joel Burcat.
Elena Hartwell/Elena Taylor
