Death Comes for the Archbishop
12. Willa Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop
This book centers around the life of Jean Marie Latour, a French priest who is sent to be a missionary in the wilderness town of Santa Fé. As he travels through the beautiful but unforgiving country, Father Latour is awed by the magnitude of the task in front of him. Yet with the help of his old friend Father Vaillant, he begins to revitalize the Catholic Church in New Mexico. The two priests travel tirelessly around their vast diocese, doing their best to tend to the spiritual (and sometimes material) needs of their flock. They interact with Americans, Mexicans, and Native Americans of various tribes, finding both resistance and true friendship. Eventually, Father Latour becomes an archbishop and is able to look back with satisfaction on his life’s work.
It’s hard for me to think of this book as a novel, since there isn’t much going on in terms of plot. It’s more like a meditation or a description of the American Southwest when it was still young and largely unsettled by Europeans. The many descriptive passages of the New Mexican landscape are beautifully written, and they are probably the best parts of the book. Since I’m Catholic, I also enjoyed reading about the missionary activity; however, I can see that the religious aspects of the book might be irritating for some readers. There are also some hints of racism in the book; the priests occasionally make sweeping generalizations about “the Mexicans” or “the Indians.” Yet they also treat everyone with respect, regardless of race, so I found it a forgivable flaw; though, again, others might not feel the same. Overall, I would recommend the book if you’re interested in the subject matter or enjoy reading lovely descriptions of scenery.