| Wheat That Springeth Green， J. F. Powers s beautifully realized final work， is a comic foray into the commercialized wilderness of modern American life. Its hero， Joe Hackett， is a high-school track-star who sets out to be a saint. But seminary life and priestly apprenticeship soon damp his ardor， and by the time he has been given a parish of his own he has traded in his hairshirt for the consolations of baseball and beer. Meanwhile Joe s higher-ups are pressing for an increase in profits from the collection plate， while suburban Inglenook s biggest business wants to launch its new line of missiles with a blessing， and not so far away， in Vietnam， a war is going on. Joe wants to duck and cover， but in the end， almost in spite of himself， he is condemned to do something right. A virtuoso of the American language， J.F. Powers had a perfect ear for the telling cliche and a unfailing eye for the kitsch， whether material or moral， that clutters up our lives. This funny and very moving novel about the making and the remaking of a priest in a world of discount marts and financial drives is one of his finest achievements. |
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