Historical Fiction
Date Published: 07-01-2025
Publisher: Sunbury Press, Inc.
Whiz Kid is a powerful coming-of-age novel set in 1950 Philadelphia,
where Jewish Navy veteran Ben Green faces impossible choices.
Pressured by his pregnant wife to finish his novel or take a secure job at a
prestigious ad agency, Ben must also navigate the era’s class divisions
and antisemitism. His best friend’s elite world clashes with his
working-class South Philly roots and Jewish identity.
Temptation, ambition, and loyalty collide—especially when Ilene, a
captivating classmate, threatens to unravel his carefully balanced life. As
the Phillies’ Whiz Kids chase a pennant, Ben’s own reckoning
builds to a climax, culminating in a surprising decision that redefines his
future.
Co-written with David S. Burcat, Joel Burcat’s late father, Whiz Kid is
a deeply American story of resilience, legacy, and the true cost of following
one’s heart.
Excerpt
[Ben Green is talking with his friends about his professor’s
reaction to a chapter of his novel. He’s glum.]
Ben sat next to Stan, facing Ilene. She looked at him and gently touched
her fingers to the top of his hand. “What is it, Benji? You don’t
look so good.”
Ben slowly pulled his hand out from under hers, turning it over briefly to
squeeze her fingers before letting go. “Oh, it’s nothing. You know
I’m writing this novel. I showed it to Chesterfield. He called it
‘interesting.’”
“Interesting? That’s good, isn’t it?” asked Stan,
raising his eyebrows and smiling.
“That might be the single-most intentionally vague word in the English
language. It means absolutely nothing. Nothing. Interesting painting.
Interesting play. Interesting manuscript. It’s a nice way for the
professor to say ‘no comment.’” Ben rested his elbow on the
table and put his hand on his chin. “Hey, Ilene, give me one of those
Kents, would you?”
About the Author
Joel Burcat is a novelist and retired lawyer living in Harrisburg, Pa.
His previous novels, Reap the Wind, Drink to Every Beast, Amid Rage, and
Strange Fire have been award-winning thrillers. He is a Gold Medal Winner from
Readers’ Favorite, a Finalist of the Next Gen Indie Book Awards, and a
winner of the PennWriters Annual Writing Contest. Strange Fire was a Kirkus
Reviews Best Book of the Week.
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. He wrote Match Point, the novella
within the novel, in about 1950. He died in 1998. Whiz Kid- A Novel is his
first published book. Dave was the father of co-author, Joel Burcat.
Contact Links
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
Goodreads
Instagram
LinkedIn
