Blue horses rush in : poems and stories

Luci Tapahonso

Tapahonso (A Breeze Swept Through, West End, 1987) presents a poignant collection of stories and poems celebrating the joys and sorrows of everyday life. Some bring belly laughs, such as "I Remembered This One in Tucson," which tells of a young wife and mother's search for independence through the purchase of a used convertible. Others produce tears: In "White Bead Girl," a mother reviewing the life of the daughter who's run away is comforted by her father's words: "Once you remember something it never leaves you. It's how we know that we have lived." The title poem honors the birth of a grandchild who "arrived amid a herd of horses," bringing together the pasts of her ancestors. Although deeply entrenched in the author's Navajo heritage, these stories and poems speak to women of all cultures. Recommended for Native American and women's studies collections, with rewards for the general reader as well.Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati Technical Coll., Ohio. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.