The Lilies of the Field
One of the most beloved of modern classics. The enchanting story of two unlikely friends, a black ex-GI and the head of a group of German nuns, The Lilies of the Field tells the story of their impossible dream — to build a chapel in the desert.
Homer Smith, an itinerant handyman, meets a group of impoverished nuns while driving through the desert of Arizona. Stopping to fix their leaky farmhouse roof, Homer discovers that not only will the Mother Superior not pay him for the job, but she also wants him to build their chapel — for free!
Hesitant at fist, Homer soon finds himself single-handedly raising the chapel and the financing. Even though he will not receive a monetary reward, Homer knows he’ll leave that dusty desert town a much better place than he found it.
- More about this book: The Lilies of the Field became a motion picture in 1963. It won five Academy Award nominations and Sidney Poitier earned an Oscar for his portrayal of Homer Smith, the drifter. A 1970 Broadway musical, ”Look to the Lilies,” with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Sammy Cahn, was also based on the book.
