The Duke of Deception: Memories of My Father by Geoffrey Wolff

One of the joys of TikTok is Ann Patchett and her fantastic book reviews. Patchett, author of such books as "Bel Canto" and "The Dutch House," also owns a bookstore in Nashville called Parnassus Books. From inside the delightful walls of her bookstore, she recommends books using the upbeat phrase, "If you have not read this book, it is new to you." One of her recent recommendations was "Duke of Deception" by Geoffrey Wolff. Many people might not know that Geoffrey is the old brother of Tobias Wolff, who wrote the 1989 bestseller "This Boy's Life," which was made into a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In 1950s, when Geoffrey was 12 years old, and Tobias was 5, their parents got divorced. In an unusual arrangement, Geoffrey went to live with his father, and Tobias stayed with his mother. Both living situations were disastrous, and l led the men to write two very sad memoirs. In this book, 1979's "Duke of Deception," Geoffrey grew up thinking his dad went to Yale and was a fighter pilot, and both turned out to be false. In fact, he was passed over for military service and was a professional con man, despite having gone to the University of Pennsylvania. In his quest to form a connection and bond with his father, Geoffrey is forced to come to grips with the criminal his dad became. Tragic and fascinating, the book is an excellent peek inside the anatomy of a family. A big shout out to the lovely Ann Patchett @parnassusbooksnashville on TikTok and @parnassusbooks on Intagram.  Keep those recommendations coming! To buy this book on Amazon click here.