In the aftermath of the Mexican-American War, two French Jesuit priests travel to the American Southwest to establish a new Roman Catholic diocese. Upon arrival, Father Jean Marie Latour and Father Joseph Vaillant encounter an ethnically diverse population in an unforgiving landscape, entrenched customs and beliefs by the inhabitants, and corrupt Spanish priests. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Willa Cather and published in 1927, the novel follows the priests' adventures, friendship, and spiritual journey as they struggle to fulfill their mission.