Duke of Deception: Memories of My Father

Geoffrey Wolff is the brother of Tobias Wolff, whose superb memoir This Boy’s Life (1988) traced his family's nomadic early life in the Pacific Northwest. But whereas Tobias's story centered on his mother and stepfather, Geoffrey (in this book Duke of Deception) focuses on his father, a liar and a con man who nonetheless was an attentive and loving father. The book is elegantly written — candid, impassioned, and not a little disturbing.