Death Comes for the Archbishop

From one of the most highly acclaimed novelists of the twentieth century: a truly remarkable book" (The New York Times), an epic story of a life lived simply in the silence of the southwestern desert. With a new introduction by Claire Messud.

In 1851 Father Jean Marie Latour comes to serve as the Apostolic Vicar to New Mexico. What he finds is a vast territory of red hills and tortuous arroyos, American by law but Mexican and Indian in custom and belief. In the almost forty years that follow, Latour spreads his faith in the only way he knows—gently, all the while contending with an unforgiving landscape, derelict and sometimes openly rebellious priests, and his own loneliness. Out of these events, Cather gives us an indelible vision of life unfolding in a place where time itself seems suspended.

BUY THE BOOK

Published Jun 16, 1990

320 pages

Average rating: 7.17

41 RATINGS

|

Community Reviews

DebMacP
Sep 22, 2025
10/10 stars
Unique look at New Mexico during the late 1800, the land, the people and buildings, the hardships and long travels, customs and places. A true "getaway" gorgeously described.
Wannabwestern
Jan 19, 2026
8/10 stars
I think this is my favorite Willa Cather novel.
Gershom
Apr 03, 2025
8/10 stars
I read this book to write a report, it felt difficult to read, but as I did research into the book it gave me a newfound appreciation of the metaphors. After my grandfather passed, and seeing how his life impacted many, this book grows closer to my heart as time passes.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.