In Whiz Kid, a richly woven novel set in 1950 Philadelphia, Joel Burcat and David S. Burcat, son and father, deliver a poignant and compelling story of ambition, identity, love, and resilience. Ben Green, a young Jewish Navy veteran and aspiring novelist, finds himself at a crossroads as he navigates the tensions between postwar American optimism and the harsh realities of prejudice, family obligations, and his dreams.

After Joel’s dad, David Burcat, died in 1998, his mother gave him the papers from his University of Pennsylvania days in the early 1950s. Among them was a sixteen-page typewritten manuscript titled Match Point. “I read it, loved it, and tucked it away, knowing I’d return to it someday. A decade later, I built Whiz Kid around his story.” Match Point appears, imperfections and all and word-for-word as the first draft of Ben Green’s novel within Whiz Kid. “While writing, I often thought of Unforgettable, the posthumous duet by Nat King Cole and his daughter Natalie. It echoed what I was doing—creating something with my late father, decades after he was gone. Think of it as Kevin Costner’s character playing catch with the ghost of his late father at the end of Field of Dreams.”

Whiz Kid is set against the electrifying backdrop of the 1950 Phillies’ legendary pennant race, The story explores life in the hardscrabble Jewish neighborhood of South Philly called the “Zibbiter”, the genteel suburbs of the Main Line, and the gritty streets of Camden. As Ben confronts moral dilemmas, a complex friendship with his privileged best friend and war buddy Stan, and the allure of a forbidden romance, he must ultimately decide who he is—and what kind of life he truly wants to lead.

Heartfelt, humorous, and historically grounded, Whiz Kid is a vivid portrait of mid-century America, changing attitudes toward Judaism and faith, a celebration of baseball, a reflection on brotherhood, and a deeply human tale about finding purpose, love, and courage in unexpected places. This is a story you won’t soon forget.