Death Comes for the Archbishop

Name: Death Comes for the Archbishop
Author: Willa Cather

Death Comes for the Archbishop is a 1927 novel by Willa Cather. It tells the story of two French Catholic priests, Father Jean Marie Latour and Father Joseph Vaillant, who are sent to New Mexico to establish a diocese in the mid-19th century. The novel follows the two priests as they travel across the harsh landscape of the American Southwest, encountering a variety of characters and cultures. Along the way, they must confront the challenges of establishing a new diocese, including dealing with the local Native American tribes, the Spanish settlers, and the Mexican government. The novel is a meditation on faith, culture, and the power of the human spirit. It is also a tribute to the beauty of the American Southwest and its people. Ultimately, Death Comes for the Archbishop is a story of hope and redemption, as the two priests strive to bring the Catholic faith to the people of New Mexico.

By Willa Cather · First published 1927 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Religious Fiction, Regional Fiction · 31 chapters · 69,988 words

First lines

Bishop Latour, with Jacinto, was riding through the mountains on his first official visit to Taos--after Albuquerque, the largest and richest parish in his diocese. Both the priest and people there were hostile to Americans and jealous of interference. Any European, except a Spaniard, was regarded as a gringo. The Bishop had let the parish alone, giving their animosity plenty of time to cool. With Carson's help he had informed himself fully about conditions there, and about the powerful old priest, Antonio José Martínez, who was ruler in temporal as well as in spiritual affairs. Indeed, before Father Latour's entrance upon the scene, Martínez had been dictator to all the parishes in northern New Mexico, and the native priests at Santa Fé were all of them under his thumb.

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Death Comes for the Archbishop is listed on Textopian as a novel by Willa Cather, dated 1927 CE.

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Work type: Novel
Author: Willa Cather
Date: 1927 CE
Language: English
Genres: Historical Fiction, Religious Fiction, Regional Fiction, Literary Fiction
Length: 69,988 words
Structure: 31 chapters, 2,075 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Historical Fiction — The novel is set in the late 19th century in the American Southwest and follows the story of two French Catholic priests as they attempt to establish a diocese in the region.
Religious Fiction — The novel follows the story of two French Catholic priests as they attempt to establish a diocese in the American Southwest, and explores themes of faith, religion, and spirituality.
Regional Fiction — The novel is set in the American Southwest and explores the region's culture, history, and geography.
Literary Fiction — The novel is written in a lyrical, poetic style and explores themes of faith, religion, and spirituality.