Book Review: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

Father Jean Marie Latour travels to the American Southwest in the 1850s. He was ordained in his home country, France. He went on mission work to Ohio and from there was sent to the New Mexico territory to be bishop. His friend Father Joseph (a homely and humble priest) travels with him. They work hard to learn the language and the territory and the various cultures (Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and Southwest American). His first challenges are dividing up border parishes with Mexican dioceses and dealing with some rebellious priests who deny he's their superior, mostly because they want to continue their debauched and scandalous lifestyles. Father Latour is hardworking and gentle as he deals with traveling thousands of miles on foot and mule. He lives a life of great adventure as he ministers to the rancheros, the poor, the migrants, and the outlaws. His great dream is to build a cathedral in the proper French style, not like the more utilitarian German churches in Ohio. So many other concerns occupy his time.

The land is hard and sparse and meandering. The story follows the landscape as Father Latour encounters a variety of troubles and opportunities. The country is beautifully described. The people he encounters also have a richness about them. None are stereotypes or two-dimensional people. They have understandable viewpoints, sometimes sympathetic and sometimes not. The story does not really build to a climax for Father Latour's earthly life. Even the cathedral project is one of many threads that makes up his life. On his deathbed, he has a sense of the eternal destiny that his friends have gone on to. He looks forward to the afterlife following on a fulfilling life.

I like the book a lot though I struggle to put it into a category. It's a fictional biography and historically situated, though it's not based on some famous person or great event. The text is very poetic and the characters are well drawn. The travels and locales are interesting but aren't the main focus either. 

Highly recommended.

This book is discussed on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast #274. Check it out!