The Lilies of the Field

The Lilies of the Field
By William E. Barrett
Grand Central Pub, 1995. 127 pgs. Fiction

Homer Smith, a rambling ex-GI working at odd jobs, crosses paths with Mother Maria and her group of German refugee nuns, determined to thrive in the Western desert when common sense would say otherwise. Mother Maria explains to Homer that God has sent him to build them their chapel; Homer, a Southern Baptist, believes otherwise. However, when the town expresses their belief that Homer is not the answer to the nun's prayers, Homer decides, whether or not God sent him, he will build the chapel and prove the town wrong.

This slim classic was the premise of the film with the same title starring Sidney Poitier; it’s a tale of determination as two people beat the odds (and have a little faith) when everyone around them said they could not do it.