Chants is a collection of forty five poems that bridge many topics of the author’s life.  This is the first collection of poems by Pat Mora. The setting in which many of the poems take place is the author’s hometown of El Paso, Texas and its desert surroundings. El Paso is described as a woman in the poem “Unrefined.” “—her skirts high, kicks sand, flings tumbleweeds, digs her nails into all flesh.” The author describes the setting as wild, colorful, and lively. The desert setting does not prohibit the people who live within it from living lives that are similar to others in the world. Many of the poems and their titles are English, Spanish, or interlingual. The words transition smoothly from English to Spanish and often times than not are defined within. The topics are vast in this collection; universal topics of family, love, women’s struggles, and racism are included as well as the Mayan, Aztec and Native American impact on the culture of Mexico and its many generations.  

Mora acknowledges the importance of family throughout her poems.  She recognizes the importance of elders in her culture. In the poem “Family Ties,” she speaks of her grandmother and her practical and non-frivolous ways. She acknowledges the struggles that many Hispanic American women go through living in what she describes as two separate worlds; their struggle to keep their culture yet be able to smoothly transition from one world to the next. Through  poems of the poinsettia and the Mayan legend of Ixtabai the authors shares traditional folktales with her readers. The Aztec, Mayan, and the Native American cultures have influenced Mexico’s present and future generations with a rich identity. 

Mora introduces the mysticism of her culture through poems such as “Bruja: Witch” and “Juan.” In the poem “Juan” the people speak of Juan and his many animal companions all which are the color black. His face and eyes are described as dark and they believe him to be a child of the devil. The villagers believe he has magical powers and bring him plants to heal. In the poem “1910” Mora touches on the topic of racism. The poem speaks of an affluent woman who was highly regarded in her community, yet is treated as an inferior in a five and dime in El Paso. She braves the verbal attacks of the store owner on her character where as in Mexico it wouldn’t be questioned. 

After recognition of the influence of her culture and family, she speaks of her own struggle as a woman, mother, and Mexican American. Her identity is influenced by the past and skewed by others who don’t acknowledge her many layers. This is a collection of poems that flows effortlessly from page to page. I would recommend this collection for high school and public libraries, a complete and significant read for all lovers of poetry.