"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Six

Liesel Meminger is a foster child living in Nazi Germany in 1939. Surrounded by violence, hardship, and war, Liesel is watched over by Death, who narrates her story.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. repercussion
    a remote or indirect consequence of some action
    Much of it would have repercussions for Liesel Meminger.
  2. suffice
    be adequate, either in quality or quantity
    I could go on, but I’ve decided for now that three examples will suffice.
  3. unflappable
    not easily perturbed, excited, or upset
    There is death.
    Making his way through all of it.
    On the surface: unflappable, unwavering.
  4. strew
    spread by scattering
    Often, I try to remember the strewn pieces of beauty I saw in that time as well.
  5. regimen
    a systematic plan for therapy
    His exercise regimen faltered and fell apart, with his cheek against the surly basement floor.
  6. falter
    be or become weak, unsteady, or uncertain
    His exercise regimen faltered and fell apart, with his cheek against the surly basement floor.
  7. philosophical
    meeting trouble with level-headed detachment
    Papa was more philosophical.
  8. resurgence
    bringing again into activity and prominence
    Then there was a resurgence—an immense struggle against my weight.
  9. customary
    commonly used or practiced
    He welcomed her in the customary way as they fought for the ball.
  10. irreparable
    impossible to rectify or amend
    After judging it irreparable, all of the kids walked home in disgust, leaving the ball twitching on the cold, blistered road.
  11. ajar
    slightly open
    The door was slightly ajar.
  12. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    THE LAST REMNANTS OF THE WHISTLER
  13. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    Hans couldn’t resist an incredulous tone.
  14. attain
    gain with effort
    They were by the Amper River and Liesel had just told Rudy that she was interested in attaining another book from the mayor’s house.
  15. vigilance
    alert attentiveness
    How dare she occupy the kitchen with such vigilance!
  16. antithesis
    exact opposite
    She had learned that expression from The Dream Carrier, which was essentially the complete antithesis of The Whistler— a book about an abandoned child who wanted to be a priest.
  17. premonition
    an early warning about a future event
    Was it a premonition of Max’s death?
  18. trepidation
    a feeling of alarm or dread
    Trepidation found its way onto his face and he made a confession to the girl.
  19. emphatic
    forceful and definite in expression or action
    The same girl—a redhead with period freckles—spoke once again, this time more emphatically. “What is that?”
  20. smattering
    a small number or amount
    There was already a smattering of air-raid shelters in Molching, but it was decided soon after the bombing of Cologne that a few more certainly wouldn’t hurt.
  21. generate
    bring into existence
    Panic generated in that awful way. Throat and mouth. Air became sand.
  22. fluent
    expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
    When he returned, he spoke fast and fluent.
  23. audacity
    aggressive or outright boldness
    I doubt any of them had the audacity to consider what they’d do if the basement was appointed as a shelter.
  24. ascend
    travel up
    The answer ascended the steps, on top of Max Vandenburg.
  25. plummet
    drop sharply
    Saved you, I’d think, holding their souls in midair as the rest of their being—their physical shells—plummeted to the earth.
Created on Wed Feb 27 10:41:53 EST 2013 (updated Wed May 11 14:03:55 EDT 2022)

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