Synopses & Reviews
House of Houses is Pat Mora's dreamy reconception of the Day of the Dead. Rather than just a few hours, we experience a year in an imaginary home, redolent with the tastes, smells, sounds, and stories of Mora's Southwestern childhood, where the dead walk and talk among the living.
"[A] richly sensual family memoir. . . . A feast. Pat Mora is an eloquent bearer of the old truth that it is through the senses that we appreciate love."
—Janet Perry, The Washington Post Book World
Synopsis
Winner of the Southwest Book Award and the Premio Aztlan, House of Houses, is Pat Mora's lyric reconception of the Day of the Dead. Rather than just a few hours, we experience a year in an imaginary home redolent with the tastes, smells, sounds, and stories of Mora's Southwestern childhood. In this house the dead walk and talk among the living, sharing laughter and tears, and fortifying dreams with experience.
About the Author
Pat Mora, a poet of Mexican-American heritage, is the recipient of a 1994 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in poetry. Her published work includes poetry and nonfiction for adults as well as children. Her previous picture book for Clarion was LISTEN TO THE DESERT/OYE AL DESIERTO, illustrated by Francisco X. Mora. Ms. Mora, a native of El Paso, Texas, now lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.