The Broken Circle

by Rodney Barker

"As gripping a true-crime book as you're likely to read all year....Read[s] almost as if [it] had been written by Tony Hillerman."
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
In Farmington, New Mexico, a town that borders a Navajo reservation, the tensions between whites and Native Americans reached an all-time high in 1974, when three white teenagers brutally tortured three helpless victims to death. Their punishment by the court was light, but in this extraordinary true-crime story, the curses of the Navajo on the boys may have wrought justice where the laws of the white man would not....

Genres: True Crime, Native American, Nonfiction, History, Mystery

339 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am updating my Goodreads account to keep track of the books on my shelves, so this review is many years after the reading. It would be difficult for me to really comment accurately about the author's writing style since it has been so many years since I read the book---I read it the minute it hit bookstores. However, I can account for the accuracy of the research and telling of events, as this happened in my hometown shortly after I graduated from highschool. All of the young men involved were school mates of mine; one lived across the street. Not exactly something to take pride in. The subject matter of this related crime spree was, unfortunately, something that our town did experience decades ago. Until the occurrence of this tragedy, I think most of our residents assumed the tales to be grossly exaggerated. The heart-breaking truth came to light with this tragic sequence of events, and brought not only local but national attention to horrific things occurring in our streets and alleys. It was a sad read for me, and still sad all these 40+ years later to recall, but yet another example of racial divide and crimes that had to be addressed---and continues to be addressed. A good book if you like to read true crime or are researching different aspects of racism in our nation's history or social behavior.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Living close to Farmington and being a Native American woman gave me mixed feelings about this book. Since I was not born when these events took place, it disgusted me to know the history of what has happened in this nearby town in which I make frequent trips to.
This definitely was an eye-opener of the another experience in which Native Americans had to experience from the Anglo communities surrounding them. However, I can also understand the frustrations coming from both parties. Change cannot happen overnight, it takes time. The efforts that were tried was either a success or a failure, but all in all, it was worth it.

[Loren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Living in Farmington before during and after these events occurred. I have to say that this is a very one sided story of these events. Although without a doubt the events were very sick, the other side of the coin which the author failed to delve into were just as sick. In my humble opinion Mr.Barker Should have researched a tad more than what a hippie passing through town could absorb much less understand the environmental dynamics of the area from those very sad days. I.E. facts

[Melissa Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published in 1992, "The Broken Circle: A True Story of Murder and Magic in Indian Country," by Rodney Barker, is a nonfiction account of the horrific torture and murder of three Native American men in Farmington, New Mexico, in 1974. The event is still known as "the Chokecherry Massacre."

The three Navajo men were tortured and killed by three young white teenage boys who attended the local high school. None of the boys served any time in prison. When their lack of punishment was announced, the outrage was immediate -- and highly disturbing to the white population.

This is a great book. An incredibly important book.

I wish the author had used the real names of the three killers. I don't know why the murderers are all given pseudonyms in this book. To protect their families? I have no idea. The choice didn't make any sense to me, and was honestly upsetting, given what these three people did.

I intended to finish reading this, but the content is so heavy and morally repulsive that completing the book is just not right for me at this time.

DNF on page 140 (of 354 total pages).

For me personally, this is a four-star read, because I dock the book an entire star for inexplicably changing the names of the killers. I think a book like this should use the real names of the murderers.

But this is definitely a five-star read, so I'm rating it five.

Recommended.

[John Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

My new hometown of Farmington NM boasts an unfortunate nickname: "the Selma of the Southwest." This book explains why.

Barker tells the horrifying story of Farmington's Chokecherry Massacre, in which three White high school students tortured, brutalized, and murdered three Navajo men, taking the then-common "hobby" of "Indian rolling" to a disgusting new extreme -- which is really saying something considering how disgusting the practice is at any level. It was equally eerie, fascinating, and frightening to read about these events, living as I now do less than a mile from Farmington High School and even closer to the homes of two of the murderers.

Barker presents the story with vivid and compelling detail. Reviews of the time indicate his depiction was perceived by many as culturally sensitive. However, from a 2022 standpoint, the account feels sensationalist and even tonedeaf here and there, and his narration occasionally comes across as a bit hackneyed and heavy-handed as well.

Still, an engaging, powerful, important story, and a must-read if you live in the Southwest or have a particular interest in the history of racism and hate crimes, especially against Indigenous peoples.

[Qinqin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up Rodney Barker's "The Broken Circle" came at the suggestion of a coworker, a Navajo individual who, quite notably, couldn't bring herself to finish it due to its emotional weight. The narrative, deeply entrenched in civil rights discourse, unfolds a compelling exploration of the challenges faced by communities in the Four Corners area.

Her inability to complete the book isn't merely a personal choice but a testament to the profound impact of Barker's storytelling. Beyond a conventional narrative, he constructs a literary space that serves as a call to heightened awareness and empathy.

For those rooted in the Four Corners region, the book resonates on a visceral level, intricately interweaving the complexities unique to our home. Yet, Barker's narrative stretches beyond geographic boundaries, appealing to a broader audience concerned with civil rights.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a series of murders that occurred in my small hometown when my mom was getting out of high school. It rocked our area and increased racial tensions for the 20+ years I lived there. Some of my teachers and places I knew growing up figured heavily. Another mindfuck.

[chanell :o( · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We must do something to let the people of Farmington know that we will no longer put up with the mistreatment of Navajo brothers and sisters. If we do nothing and remain silent and accept this without protesting, then what kind of future are we creating for our children?"
129

[Gaby Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The weight of history and an imbalance in cultural conflict open the gate for three teenage boys to commit a vile murder and then pay the price.

[Michael Wojciehoski · Rating 4 out of 5]

True crime, racial tensions, spirits - fact or fiction?

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like a HIllerman mystery thriller but this superbly crafted story is real and therein lies the true horror.. Barker tries to get to the bottom of what became of the three youths who, in the seventies at ages 15 and 16, tortured then killed at least three Navajo men. In the process he explores the racist culture of Farmington area in the seventies and attempts to come to some understanding of how something as horrifying and incomprehensibly evil as this could have happened. Then he tries to find out exactly what subsequently happened to the youth who were tried as juveniles and then released back into society within a few years. This process has him searching for answers to suggestions of magic, witchcraft and sorcery and traditional Navajo justice. Horrifying, compelling. Intelligent. Balanced.

[Christopher Sutch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting true-life story about a trio of teenagers in the early 1970s who kill three Navajo, and what happened to them after a Navajo sorcerer evidently put a curse on them at the behest of the victims' families. Barker does a good job of putting the events into a sociopolitical context. He is, however, not an anthropologist, like the ones he invokes who have examined the magical practices of non-European cultures. At times, his admitted thirst for the truth behind the events verges on the unethical; his dealings with the widow of one of the Navajo victims is almost painful to read. And though he agrees, at the request of one of his Navajo sources, not to sensationalize the Navajo rituals involved, this is exactly what this book is all about.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barker details the vicious murder of three Navajos in Farmington, New Mexico, by three teens. There is little recorded here in the way of actual trial proceedings, as all three youth were sent to a boys' home, but the author illustrates well the racial and ethnic prejudices within the community. He also includes information on the American Indian Movement and the Navajo Way.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellently written true story of hate crimes against the local Indians in the American desert. Tells you a lot about the filthy, unswept corners of America's history along with the Four Corners of the American Southwest.

[Jerome Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gripping true crime story! Set in New Mexico in 1974 this story will definitely set you to a thinking about hate crimes and how horrible and senseless they are.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story of true crime and the witchcraft that balanced the scales.