Ash: Chapters 5–8

by Malinda Lo
Ash is under the thumb of a heartless stepmother and torn between a promise to the menacing fairy Sidhean and her feelings for Kaisa, the king's huntress. Learn these words from Malinda Lo's lyrical retelling of the Cinderella story.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–12, Chapters 13–16, Chapters 17–21

Here are links to our lists for other works by Malinda Lo: Huntress, The Fox
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. pity
    share the suffering of
    In Rook Hill, everyone knew and cherished her mother and father; here, she was pitied by others: Poor girl. Orphan.
  2. harsh
    unkind or cruel or uncivil
    The day the trunks arrived was a harsh reminder to Ash of how much her life had changed since the summer.
  3. constrict
    become tight or as if tight
    When the memories came, Ash felt her heart constrict as if she were being bound by ropes so tight she would lose all breath.
  4. subdued
    restrained in style or quality
    This winter, Yule would be a much more subdued affair, “out of respect for my husband’s untimely passing,” Lady Isobel declared.
  5. imposing
    impressive in appearance
    Even Ash had to admit that she was an imposing figure, and when she gathered Ana and Clara to her to kiss their beribboned heads, Ash felt like a sparrow among peacocks.
  6. customary
    in accordance with convention
    Visibly shaken, Lady Isobel called for Beatrice to attend them, and Ash wondered if it was customary in West Riding for the hunt to come in like that, all bloody and fresh from the kill.
  7. determined
    characterized by great firmness of purpose
    But she had an advantage that the Fairy Queen did not anticipate: She was young and determined, and she did not know that she could fail.
  8. encounter
    a casual meeting with a person or thing
    In the weeks since her father had died, Ash’s memory of her midnight encounter with the Fairy Hunt had seemed more like a dream than reality.
  9. hearth
    a built-in space in a wall where a fire can be built
    In the parlor, a fire was burning in the hearth, but the room was still chilly.
  10. grim
    harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance
    Her face wore a look of grim decision.
  11. debt
    money or goods or services owed by one person to another
    You are not my daughter; you are your father’s daughter, and you are going to pay his debts.
  12. shirk
    avoid one's assigned duties
    As it is, I will expect you to work off his debts without complaint, because you are his daughter and it is your responsibility. Do not shirk your duties.
  13. tinder
    material that burns easily and is used for starting a fire
    She learned how to set the tinder in place so that the wood caught fire as quickly as possible; she learned how to breathe gently on the first sparks to coax them into flame.
  14. callous
    emotionally hardened
    Her fingers became calloused from scrubbing the hall floor, and she learned how to carry the heavy bucket of soapy water up the stairs without spilling a drop.
  15. singe
    burn superficially or lightly
    She cut her hands on the firewood and nearly singed off her eyelashes while fanning the morning flames.
  16. berate
    censure severely or angrily
    Her stepmother berated her for her mistakes, and initially Ash would reply sharply, but each time she felt the sting of her stepmother’s ringed hand on her cheek, she sank further into silence.
  17. compulsion
    an urge to do something that might be better left undone
    But when she reached the treeline she felt a compulsion to continue into the forest instead of turning west.
  18. destination
    the place designated as the end, as of a race or journey
    Her feet moved as if of their own will, and she felt a dim sense of surprise that she was so sure of her destination: straight forward along the path, where the distance lay shadowed in green and yellow and brown, magnetic in its mystery.
  19. trespass
    enter unlawfully on someone's property
    Here the Wood was a secret place, and she knew she was trespassing.
  20. efficiency
    skillfulness in avoiding wasted time and effort
    With that thought she woke up completely, the memory of the last several months flooding back into her with depressing efficiency.
  21. disconcerted
    having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion
    Though they were separated by several feet, she was disconcerted by the intensity of his gaze; she felt as if he could pull her open from afar.
  22. emanate
    proceed or issue forth, as from a source
    He reached out and stroked her hair, and she could feel an icy chill emanating from his hand.
  23. ravenous
    extremely hungry
    At first she thought that he might strike her down where she stood, for a look of ravenous hunger came over him, as if he could not wait to spill her blood.
  24. enchanted
    influenced as by charms or incantations
    He stood up, towering over her, and said, “You must go back the way you came. You took an enchanted path, and you cannot remain here.”
  25. plead
    appeal or request earnestly
    “Don’t make me go back,” she pleaded.
  26. propel
    cause to move forward with force
    Ash let out a gasp of pain as her stepmother propelled her back toward the kitchen door.
  27. recede
    pull back or move away or backward
    The great iron key turned in the lock, and Ash heard her stepmother’s footsteps receding until there was nothing but the muffled hum of the dark, and the cold, damp press of the cellar air against her skin.
  28. betrothed
    pledged to be married
    Her favorite story was about Kathleen, a pretty girl of sixteen who was betrothed to the village baker's son, a handsome young man with jet-black hair and smiling brown eyes.
  29. cautionary
    serving to warn
    Though she knew it was meant to be a cautionary tale, now that she had seen that fairy, she thought that Kathleen’s fate was not so cruel after all.
  30. glamour
    cast a spell over someone or something
    On one page titled “To Reverse Glamour,” many lines were crossed out, and the ink had been smeared and blotted several times as if her mother had been trying different combinations.
  31. sacrifice
    endure the loss of
    You are not the only one who must sacrifice. I hope that Ana and Clara’s future will not be shortchanged because of your father’s debts.
  32. adept
    having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
    And just as she became more adept at her work, the winter came in earnest.
  33. yearn
    desire strongly or persistently
    “But can you not take me to see her?” she asked, and she yearned for him to say yes.
  34. reckless
    marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
    “Why?” she asked, and feeling reckless, she added, “Take me with you.”
  35. accompany
    go or travel along with
    In this way they developed a kind of unspoken agreement: He would accompany her, and she would not ask him about who he was.
  36. contrite
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
    “I am sorry, Stepsister,” Ash said contritely, but the words tasted bitter.
  37. fortuitous
    lucky; occurring by happy chance
    “Isn't it fortuitous,” Lady Isobel gloated one night at supper, “that the prince has returned just in time to meet my most beautiful daughter?”
  38. fervently
    with strong emotion or zeal
    “I must have new gowns for the balls,” Ana said fervently.
  39. endure
    put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    She was not sure if she could endure another week of Ana’s nervous pursuit of a husband.
  40. tedious
    so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
    That afternoon she spent a tedious hour assisting Ana in dressing for dinner, and that evening the house was full of ladies in rich satin gowns and gentlemen wearing plush velvet and shining boots.
Created on Wed Jun 22 18:11:40 EDT 2016 (updated Thu Sep 20 16:17:34 EDT 2018)

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