Chapter 21 Summary and Analysis: Nancy's Story

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

⚠️ This summary and analysis contain full details from Chapter 22 of Looking for Jane. If you haven't read the chapter yet, you may want to do so before continuing.

Summary

The chapter opens in early fall 1985 at a Jane network meeting held in the living room of Wendy, a legal secretary who handles the network's administration. Since a raid the previous summer, the Janes have become more cautious about where they gather, and Wendy's home—where her husband knows and supports her work—offers a safer venue than the usual church basement. Ten volunteers are present, including Nancy, Alice, and Dr. Taylor. Most of the women keep their involvement secret from their families; Nancy has not told her fiancé Michael.

Dr. Taylor introduces a new abortion method developed in Chicago. Instead of the invasive dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure, this method uses a paste inserted into the cervix to dilate it and induce a miscarriage. It is less physically traumatic and allows for later-term abortions (between twelve and eighteen weeks). The group discusses logistics: the procedure itself can be done quickly, but the woman needs to be monitored for a day or two afterward. Because of the risk of attacks on clinics—Morgentaler's clinic was nearly bombed—Dr. Taylor suggests using volunteers' homes for the recovery period. Wendy asks for volunteers, and Nancy raises her hand, offering her home until winter, after which she will be married and living with Michael.

After the meeting, Nancy feels uneasy. She loves Michael but has never told him about her past—the abortion she had four years ago or the baby she gave up for adoption. She wonders how much of her life she will have to hide from him once they are married.

The next morning, Nancy arrives early at the rare book library where she works as an archivist. She enjoys the quiet and the detective-like nature of her job. While sorting through the mail, she picks up the newspaper and scans the classifieds, looking for a secondhand dining set for her and Michael's new apartment. She circles an ad for an oak table, but her eye catches the adjacent ad: “SEEKING LOST CHILD. Looking for my daughter who was adopted from St. Agnes’s Home in 1961.” Nancy's heart races. She knows she was adopted from St. Agnes's in 1961, and she has long wondered about her birth mother, Margaret Roberts. She hesitates, reasoning that many babies were adopted from that home, and the ad has no name or specific date. She also worries about causing pain to a stranger if she calls and it's the wrong person. She thinks about how Margaret might have changed her mind over the years, just as Nancy herself changed her mind about wanting children after meeting Michael.

Despite her rationalizations, Nancy decides she has to try. She dials the number, but a man answers. She panics, says she has the wrong number, and hangs up. Moments later, the phone rings again—it's Michael. He cheerfully greets her as “soon-to-be Mrs. Birch,” but Nancy is too shaken to talk. She hangs up on him, then rushes to the bathroom and cries. She composes herself before her coworker Lisa arrives.

Three days later, Nancy is at a bridal store with her mother, Frances, trying on wedding dresses. Frances has a brain tumor; part of it remains inoperable, and she walks slowly but refuses a cane. She is thrilled about the wedding and has taken over most of the planning. Nancy tries on an ivory satin gown with puffy sleeves and a long train, which she dislikes but her mother adores. The saleswoman flatters Frances, saying mother and daughter look alike—a comment that makes Nancy uncomfortable because she knows she is adopted. While Frances goes to look at mother-of-the-bride outfits, Nancy sits on the floor in the heavy dress, thinking about Margaret and what it would be like to shop for a wedding dress with her birth mother. When Frances returns, she declares the dress is the one, and the saleswoman rings up the purchase. Nancy smiles and accepts the decision.

Key Events

Dr. Taylor introduces a new paste-based abortion method that allows for later-term procedures and less invasive recovery.
The Janes decide to use volunteers' homes for the recovery period; Nancy volunteers her home until winter.
Nancy sees a classified ad seeking a daughter adopted from St. Agnes's Home in 1961 and feels compelled to call.
She calls the number but hangs up when a man answers, then hangs up on Michael when he calls right after.
Nancy cries in the bathroom at work, then composes herself before her coworker arrives.
Nancy goes wedding dress shopping with her mother, who has a brain tumor and is determined to buy a specific dress.
Frances chooses the dress and buys it, despite Nancy's reservations.

Character Development

Nancy is the central focus of this chapter. Her internal conflict deepens as she juggles her commitment to the Jane network, her upcoming marriage, and her unresolved feelings about her adoption and abortion. She is torn between her desire for a fresh start with Michael and the fear that her secrets will destroy their trust. Her decision to volunteer her home for the network shows her dedication, but also her recklessness—she is risking her future marriage for a cause she believes in.

The chapter also reveals Nancy's growth from the impulsive girl who once searched her parents' bedroom for clues about her birth mother. She now tries to be responsible and sensible, but the ad reignites her longing. Her inability to follow through on the call—and her subsequent breakdown—shows that she has not fully processed her past.

Frances is portrayed as a loving but somewhat overbearing mother, unaware of Nancy's true history. Her illness adds poignancy to the wedding preparations, and her insistence on the dress highlights her desire to see her daughter married. Nancy's observation of a mother-daughter pair in the store underscores her sense of loss and the alternate life she might have had with Margaret.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Secrecy and concealment: Nancy hides her involvement with the Janes from Michael, and she hides her past from everyone. The network itself operates in secrecy, and the new procedure requires even more hidden locations.
Identity and adoption: The classified ad forces Nancy to confront her origins. She wonders if Margaret has changed, and she imagines a different life with her birth mother. The wedding dress shopping highlights the contrast between her adoptive family and the mother she never knew.
Marriage and motherhood: Nancy's upcoming marriage represents a new chapter, but it also brings anxiety about whether she can be honest with Michael. Her changed feelings about having children—now that she is in a stable relationship—show how circumstances shape desire.
Medical risk and safety: The new abortion method is presented as safer and less traumatic, but the network's need to use private homes underscores the ongoing danger and legal threats.
Mother-daughter bond: Frances's illness and her involvement in the wedding highlight the bond between Nancy and her adoptive mother, even as Nancy yearns for her birth mother.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens Nancy's personal stakes and sets up future conflicts. The introduction of the new abortion method expands the network's capabilities but also increases the risk of discovery. Nancy's decision to volunteer her home—and her inability to tell Michael—creates a ticking clock: once she marries, she will lose that safe space, and her secret may be exposed. The classified ad introduces a potential plot thread about her birth mother, which could intersect with her current life. The wedding dress scene humanizes Nancy and shows the emotional weight she carries beneath the surface. This chapter also reinforces the novel's themes of choice, secrecy, and the long shadow of the past.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Nancy hesitate to call the number in the classified ad, and what does her hesitation reveal about her character?

Nancy hesitates because she fears the ad might not be from her birth mother, and she doesn't want to cause pain to a stranger who might be hoping for a reunion. She also rationalizes that Margaret may have changed her mind about wanting to find her. This hesitation reveals Nancy's maturity and empathy, but also her fear of confronting her past. She has deliberately avoided searching for Margaret, and the ad forces her to decide whether she is ready to face that part of her life.

2. How does the new abortion method change the Jane network's operations, and what risks does it introduce?

The new paste method allows for later-term abortions and is less invasive, but it requires women to be monitored for a day or two afterward. This means the network needs safe, private locations for recovery. Dr. Taylor suggests using volunteers' homes to avoid targeting clinics, but this increases the risk of discovery for the volunteers and the women they help. Nancy's offer of her home is a significant commitment, but it also creates a potential conflict with her marriage plans.

3. What does Nancy's reaction to the wedding dress reveal about her relationship with her mother and her own identity?

Nancy dislikes the dress but goes along with her mother's choice because she wants to please Frances, especially given her illness. The saleswoman's comment that Nancy and Frances look alike makes Nancy uncomfortable because she knows she is adopted. This moment highlights the tension between her love for her adoptive mother and her unresolved feelings about her birth mother. Nancy's willingness to let Frances have her way shows her compassion, but also her tendency to suppress her own desires to avoid conflict.

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