Memoir of the Bookie's Son

Overview

When he witnessed his father's fierce resistance to a gang of kidnappers, Sidney Offit became aware that his family was different. All he knew about his father's work was learned during those evenings when his father would say to his mother, "I got action, honey, so don't tie up the telephone." "Action" became synonymous with his father's occupation, and "parlay the winner," the most frequent of his father's terse responses, was what young Sidney determined his father's business was all about. By the end of Buck ...
See more details below
Paperback
$13.93
BN.com price
(Save 6%)$14.95 List Price
Other sellers (Paperback)
  • All (11) from $9.00   
  • New (9) from $9.00   
  • Used (2) from $13.92   
Sending request ...

Overview

When he witnessed his father's fierce resistance to a gang of kidnappers, Sidney Offit became aware that his family was different. All he knew about his father's work was learned during those evenings when his father would say to his mother, "I got action, honey, so don't tie up the telephone." "Action" became synonymous with his father's occupation, and "parlay the winner," the most frequent of his father's terse responses, was what young Sidney determined his father's business was all about. By the end of Buck Offit's life - he lived to be ninety-six - his shoeboxes of fifty- and one-hundred-dollar bills, banked in the hollow walls of the family apartment, were gone. But the self-defined bookie - a classic American existentialist - went right on picking winners and insisting, "Life don't owe me nothin'." In this slim, elegant memoir, Sidney Offit - novelist, teacher, and curator of one of the nation's most prestigious journalism awards - explores, with warmth and humor, the complexities of this extraordinary father-son relationship.

By the end of Buckley Offit's life, his shoeboxes filled with currency, banked in the wall of the family apartment, were gone. But the self-defined bookie went right on picking winners and insisting "Life don't owe me nothin'." In this elegant memoir, his son Sidney explores, with humor and warmth, this extraordinary father-son relationship. Author media.

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Offit recollects a childhood colored by his father's occupation as a prominent Baltimore bookie. (June)
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780931761874
  • Publisher: Beckham Publications Group, Inc.
  • Publication date: 12/1/1992
  • Pages: 168
  • Sales rank: 699,225
  • Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 8.50 (h) x 0.39 (d)

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

    If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
    Why is this product inappropriate?
    Comments (optional)