Blue Horses Rush in: Poems and Stories

Among the multitude of anthropological volumes detailing Navajo religion, ceremonies and taboos, too few books describe daily life for the Dine. In this uneven, slender collection of 28 stories, essays and poems, Navajo woman Tapahonso (Saanii Dahatall/The Women Are Singing) begins to fill the gap, emphasizing the place of women and mothers in Navajo society. The best of these pieces (such as ""White Bread Girl,"" a mother's memories of her runaway daughter) transcend culture to tell a universal tale. Less successful stories and poems meander, settling for merely anecdotal depictions of Tapahonso's Southwest, but even these weak spots inspire admiration for Tapahonso's efforts to sustain and report the traditions of her people. (Aug.)