Author Joel Burcat explores what happened after American soldiers returned home from World War II and the Korean War—men who built families, businesses, and communities while often carrying unseen scars. Drawing on history and research, Burcat shows how these experiences shaped his novels Whiz Kid and King of Buttons, and how fiction can illuminate the difficult journey from battlefield to civilian life.

Joel Burcat is an award-winning novelist and former environmental lawyer whose thought-provoking fiction blends gripping storytelling with real-world issues. The author of several thrillers—including Reap the Wind, Amid Rage, Drink to Every Beast, and Strange Fire. His historical novel Whiz Kid explores coming of age in 1950 Philadelphia, a year of transformation and the Phillies’ Whiz Kids. Burcat lives in Central Pennsylvania. His latest novel, Temperature Rising (Sunbury Press) is a political thriller that came out in Spring of 2026