Blue Horses Rush In: Poems and Stories (Sun Tracks , Vol 34) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

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.

Product Description

Blue Horses Rush In takes its title from a poem about the birth of her granddaughter Chamisa, whose heart "pounded quickly and we recognized / the sound of horses running:/ the thundering of hooves on the desert floor." Through such personal insights, this collection follows the cycle of a woman's life and underlines woman's life and underlines what it means to be Navajo in the late twentieth century. The book marks a major accomplishment in American literature for its successful blending of Navajo cultural values and forms with the English language while at the same time retaining the Navajo character. Here, Luci Tapahonso walks slowly through an ancient Hohokam village, recalling stories passed down from generation to generation. Later in the book, she may be telling a funny story about a friend, then, within a few pages, describing family rituals like roasting green chiles or baking bread in an outside oven. Throughout, Tapahonso shares with readers her belief in the power of pollen and prayer feathers and sacred songs.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 105 pages
• Publisher: University of Arizona Press (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816517282
• ISBN-13: 978-0816517282
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #844,156 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Familiar, July 10, 1997

By A Customer

Luci Tapahonso delivers another beautiful collection of poems and stories centered around her Navajo culture. Like most of her works, her emphasis is on family and community, and on the ties that bind us invisibly and lovingly to each other and to our homeland. The stories and poems are at times touching and funny, revealing the human being behind the sorrows and joys of everyday living. If you like happy endings, family values, and good old-fashioned heartfelt love, this will become your favorite book. It is at once beautiful and familiar -- these are your experiences and emotions as much as the poet's, whether you are a Navajo or not. Don't skip "In Praise of Texas," in which the narrator reflects the thinnest hopes and dreams which live in all of us, and which "blossom without any urging on our part" (13)