9 3 1 . ▁It ▁was ▁included ▁in ▁Life ▁Magazine ' s ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 0 0 ▁out standing ▁books ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 4 - 1 9 4 4 . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁included ▁on ▁Time ''' s ▁ 1 0 0 ▁Best ▁English - language ▁Nov els ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁and ▁Modern ▁Library ' s ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 0 0 ▁best ▁English - language ▁nov els ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁and ▁was ▁chosen ▁by ▁the ▁Western ▁Writ ers ▁of ▁America ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁ 7 th - best ▁" West ern ▁Nov el " ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁The ▁narr ative ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁two ▁historical ▁figures , ▁Jean - B apt iste ▁Lam y ▁and ▁Joseph ▁Project us ▁Mach eb e uf , ▁and ▁rather ▁than ▁any ▁one ▁singular ▁plot , ▁is ▁the ▁st yl ized ▁re - t elling ▁of ▁their ▁lives ▁serving ▁as ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁cler gy ▁in ▁New ▁Mexico . ▁The ▁narr ative ▁has ▁frequent ▁dig ress ions , ▁either ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁stories ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁pair ▁( including ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁Our ▁Lady ▁of ▁Gu adel oupe ▁and ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁an ▁opp ress ive ▁Spanish ▁priest ▁at ▁A com a ▁P ue blo ) ▁or ▁through ▁their ▁re collections . ▁The ▁narr ator ▁is ▁in ▁third - person ▁om nis cient ▁style . ▁C ather ▁includes ▁many ▁fict ional