Chapter summaries Blessing of the Lost Girls J. A. Jance

Chapter 15: The Circle Revealed

Spoiler Alert

This page contains a complete summary and analysis of Chapter 15 of Blessing of the Lost Girls. Major plot points and character insights are revealed. Continue only if you have read the chapter or welcome spoilers.

Chapter Summary

The chapter opens with a Tohono O’odham myth explaining how I’itoi assigned the four brothers to take turns, creating the four seasons. The narrative then shifts to Dan Pardee, driving from San Carlos toward Tucson on Saturday, April 2, 2022. He mulls over Evangeline Joaquin’s mention of the Circle and suspects it might be a university-based support group. Dan thinks of Gabe Ortiz, Lani’s godson and a University of Arizona senior well-versed in campus Native life.

Dan calls Gabe, who immediately recognizes the Circle. Gabe explains that the group is not sponsored by any institution; it is a loose Saturday gathering for Indigenous people. John Wheeler, a Lakota paraplegic in a wheelchair—known as Chair Man—runs it. The Circle meets informally, with people coming and going on “Indian time.” In the summer they use Santa Cruz Catholic Church, and women sell popovers and tamales. Gabe likens the Circle to a Peace Smoke without tobacco, a space for sharing and talk. Dan decides to attend that afternoon, and Gabe agrees to meet him there, though he will arrive later.

Key Events

  • Dan drives from San Carlos, connecting Vangie’s info to a possible university setting.
  • He remembers Gabe Ortiz and his adoption of Tim José after the diamond-smuggling crisis.
  • Dan phones Gabe to ask about the Circle.
  • Gabe describes the Circle: meets Saturdays, led by John Wheeler (a Lakota paraplegic), unstructured, like a Peace Smoke.
  • The group will meet at Santa Cruz Catholic Church that day.
  • Dan decides to go; Gabe plans to meet him there on Indian time.

Character Development

  • Dan Pardee: Demonstrates investigative instinct by tracing the Circle to college campuses and using his personal contacts. His reflections on Tim’s near-death experience and Henry Rojas’s betrayal deepen his guarded but protective nature. He appreciates cultural humor when he jokes that cell phones beat smoke signals.
  • Gabe Ortiz: No longer the at-risk teen, Gabe is a mature astronomy major poised for a Kitt Peak internship. He effortlessly invokes the Peace Smoke tradition and the rhythms of Indian time, showing his rootedness in Tohono O’odham culture.
  • John Wheeler (off-page): Introduced as the Circle’s enigmatic leader. His identity as a Lakota paraplegic reframes the support group as an Indigenous-led initiative rather than an Anglo charity.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • The Four Brothers Myth: The chapter’s opening story presents cycles, balance, and communal “turns” that echo the Circle’s role as a space for shared healing.
  • The Peace Smoke: Gabe’s analogy transforms the Circle from a mere meeting into a sacred exchange of stories and solidarity, stripped of formality and tobacco.
  • Indian Time: This concept undercuts bureaucratic schedules and emphasizes organic connection, reinforcing the group’s autonomy.
  • Technology and Tradition: Dan’s cell-phone quip ties modern tools to ancient customs, suggesting that cultural continuity can adapt without being erased.
  • Redemption and Guidance: Gabe’s arc—from near-tragedy to academic success through Lani’s storytelling—shows that cultural transmission can rescue and uplift.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 15 moves the investigation from arid speculation to a concrete lead. Dan’s call reveals the Circle as a grass-roots, Indigenous-led support network, not a sinister front. The chapter enriches the novel’s cultural landscape, weaving Tohono O’odham tradition with modern Native experience. By recalling the Henry Rojas case, it reminds readers of the dangers facing young Native men and stakes for Dan’s protective role. The planned visit to the Circle sets the stage for Dan to meet John Wheeler and possibly unravel the mystery of the missing women.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Q: How does the opening myth about the four brothers relate to the chapter’s themes?
    A: The myth emphasizes cyclical care and communal turn-taking, mirroring the Circle’s function as a recurring gathering where Native people support each other without institutional oversight. It suggests that healing is seasonal and shared, not linear.

  2. Q: Why does Dan decide to reach out to Gabe, and what does he learn that changes his perspective on the Circle?
    A: Dan presumes the Circle might be a campus organization and knows Gabe is active at the U of A. Through the call, he discovers the Circle is a self-directed, Indigenous-led space, not a well-meaning Anglo project. This flips his initial skepticism into genuine interest.

  3. Q: What is the significance of Gabe calling the Circle “a lot like doing the Peace Smoke”?
    A: The Peace Smoke tradition involves passing tobacco in a circle with the word nawoj to foster peace. Gabe’s comparison frames the Circle as a ritual of connection and healing—a modern adaptation of an ancient communal practice that emphasizes dialogue over dogma.

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