Death Comes for the Archbishop, by Willa Cather **ONLINE MEETING**

This beautifully written story follows the deep friendship between two French priests assigned to the U.S. southwest in the latter half of the 19th century. Father Latour and Father Vaillant establish a mission in New Mexico and interact with people of the pueblos of the area and beyond. The book is episodic in nature, almost a collection of short stories or parables, relating the priests' and other characters' experiences. Cather has the ability to conjure what each character feels, letting the reader experience it moment to moment. She presents their stories and lets the readers draw their own conclusions.

The beauty as well as the harshness of the land underpins the story. Those who relish the canyons, mountains, mesas, and colors of America's southwest will savor Cather's vivid, painterly descriptions of the territory.

This is an introspective book about faith, duty, friendship and devotion, indigenous communities, the vastness of nature, and a rich and varied desert history. But it is also a commentary on how the spread of white men changed New Mexico, affecting both the Native American population and the Mexican neighbors over the course of just a few decades. Cather has, at base, a pioneer's point of view, yet shows respectful understanding of all sides of the situation. It will be interesting to see how well her notably progressive (for 1927) thought has held up in the almost 100 years since this book was written.

-compiled from Goodreads reviews from Cathy, Jason, and Kate