''Wheat That Springeth Green'' is J. F. Powers's last novel. It chronicles the childhood, adolescence, and adulthood of Joe Hackett, a Midwestern Catholic who becomes a priest and dreams of being a saint. Powers worked on the book for 25 years, and was 71 years old when

Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Blanche Knopf and Alfred A. Knopf Sr. in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers ...

published it in 1988. A ''New York Times'' review praised Powers's "eye for suburban decor and his ear for clerical idiom, American-style". The book was a finalist for the 1988

National Book Award for Fiction The National Book Award for Fiction is one of five annual National Book Awards, which recognize outstanding literary work by United States citizens. Since 1987, the awards have been administered and presented by the National Book Foundation, bu ...

. ''Wheat That Springeth Green'' was reprinted by

Pocket Books Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books. History Pocket Books produced the first Paperback#Mass market paperback, mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and ...

in 1990 () and republished by

The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of ...

in 2000.

References

1988 American novels Catholic novels Novels about Christian clergy NYRB Classics {{1980s-novel-stub