In the historical novel "Death Comes for the Archbishop," Willa Cather depicts Padre Antonio Jose Martinez as an unscrupulous, backward, rogue priest, and Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy as a civilizing, heroic, and monumental figure. Countering Cather's portrayal, de Aragon attempts to set the historical record straight.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong . . . but time and chance happenethto them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11 With these words, the epitaph Padre Martinez chose for himself, the reader is drawn into a stirring and provocative biography recounted by a master storyteller. Fray Angelico Chavez, articulate and well-versed in New Mexicana, vividly records the life of the controversial Padre of Taos so that the reader gains full measure of his surroundings and of the times. Martinez was continually at the forefront of the public and political forums . . . a master of jurisprudence and canon law . . . a champion of the underdog. With the advent of Bishop Lamy, public attention became focused on these two dynamic personalities. Their philosophic differences ultimately led to Martinez' suspension and excommunication. Chavez was a curious and indefatigable researcher and he used these talents well while delving into the facts and legends surrounding Padre Martinez most poignant and colorful life-drama . . . a personality to be reckoned with, whether as hero or villain, or both. Readers will, at once, share with Chavez his absorption in this man and, also wonder . . . how such a phenomenon could have sprouted and bloomed under the most adverse circumstances of time and place.

In 1903 Pedro Sanchez published his "Memorias, or Recollections of the Life of the Priest Don Antonio Jose Martinez." This rare book, written in Spanish, is hailed by historians and others as an important and unique contribution to the literary history of New Mexico and the American Southwest. Sanchez was a student of this famous folk hero priest and the book beautifully illustrates the respect and admiration the people held for Padre Martinez. The priest is shown as dedicated to the Church and the people who looked up to him as a champion of social justice, equal rights, the downtrodden and the oppressed. Pedro Sanchez himself, as a product of Padre Martinez's coeducational school in Taos, New Mexico, credits his mentor for his success in his career and life as did many of his other students. This Spanish and English edition features an introduction by Myra Ellen Jenkins, Ph.D., a former New Mexico state historian. Ray John de Aragón, a leading scholar on Padre Martinez and the authority on his life and work, translated the original Spanish text of the Sanchez book into English. De Aragón has a Masters in American Studies and has been a keynote speaker at public and historical conferences on Padre Martinez whom he has researched extensively. He is the recipient of numerous awards and is the author of "Padre Martinez and Bishop Lamy," "The Legend of La Llorona," and "Brothers of the Light, The Penitentes of New Mexico," all from Sunstone Press.

This book will appeal to anyone interested in knowing more about how a fascinating mix of people of various cultures have molded New Mexico's history.

I selected twelve themes because of their importance to the Chicano community. These themes deal with Chicano liberation. One cannot speak about liberation. One cannot speak about liberation without mentioning these social political, economic, psychological and religious issues, nor without mentioning these symbols. - Machismo y La Mujer - Racism-Classism - Education and Labor - Violence and Nonviolence - Respect for the rights of others is peace (Benito Ju‡rez) - The Land - Fatalistic and Anarchistic Tendencies - The Catholic Church - Theology - The Symbol of Exodus - The Religious-Spiritual Symbol of Guadalupe - The Secular-Spiritual Symbol of La Raza C—smica - from the book