First Horses: Stories of the New West

The 14 stories in Gish's ( Songs of My Hunter Heart ) sensitive collection offer us glimpses of life in the 1950s American Southwest, a multiethnic society flavored by the lingering influence of the Old West. When an Native American waitress tries out her father's chili recipe on the regulars at the Bronco Cafe, it leads to a brief but intense discussion on whether Spaniards or Indians should get credit for the area's first-rate chili and for the first horses in North America. A well-intentioned teenager who plans to help a friend overcome his shyness about singing in public learns an unexpected lesson about sharing a talent ``without embarrassment.'' A dog named Kimo teaches his owner, a veterinarian, that the value of the animal kingdom transcends ``food or friendship or finances.'' The author's Christian morality pervades several of the pieces, including one anti-abortion story and another in which a woman, whose daughter is facing a crisis, looks back at her own childhood, when she was thought to have a gift as a healer--a ``blessing'' she wanted no part of. Since Gish makes his points so clearly, it is unfortunate that Weaver's foreword reveals too much about the stories it intends to praise. (Apr.)