In the Spring of 1950, Jewish war hero Ben Green returns to Philadelphia, chasing a future that’s already closing in around him. Preparing to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and expecting his first child, Ben faces mounting pressure from his wife, Debby, to grab hold of stability– with a job at his best friend Stan’s father’s powerful advertising agency. But Ben harbors a dream: to finish and publish Match Point, his novel about a South Philly underdog’s impossible rise to Wimbledon glory.
As the 1950 Phillies– the “Whiz Kids”– fight for their place in baseball history, Ben finds himself battling a deeper, more personal war– between the life he’s supposed to lead and the life he longs for. Temptation comes in many forms, especially Ilene van Cleve, a brilliant and alluring classmate, who threatens to upend everything he holds dear.
In a city alive with hope, shadowed by antisemitism and bigotry, and divided by class, Ben straddles two irreconcilable worlds: the tight-knit, working-class Jewish community of his youth and the glittering promise of the American dream.
With October looming and the Phillies on the brink of glory, Ben must make an impossible choice: follow his heart, or swing for the fences and risk losing everything he holds dear. This is a coming-of-age story with universal themes that will appeal to all readers.
The novel within the novel—Match Point—was written by Joel’s late father David S. Burcat in about 1950. He died in 1998. It was discovered in 2001 and is presented in its entirety.
Whiz Kid is a stirring, high-stakes novel of ambition, loyalty, love, and the courage it takes to chase the life you were meant to live.
