Esperanza Rising: Las Almendras–Las Papas

by Pam Muñoz Ryan
When tragedy strikes, Esperanza's family has to leave their ranch in Mexico and move to a farmworkers' camp during the Great Depression.

Learn these word lists for the novel: 1924–Los Higos, Las Guayabas–Las Cebollas, Las Almendras–Las Papas, Los Aguacates–Las Uvas
15 words 5539 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. extravagant
    characterized by richness and abundance
    Esperanza continued, reliving the extravagant moments, but was relieved when she knew that Isabel was asleep.
  2. atrocious
    exceptionally bad or displeasing
    She woke up to Lupe’s whimpering and an atrocious smell.
  3. preoccupied
    deeply absorbed in thought
    “I know a little, but only a few stitches,” said Esperanza, remembering Abuelita’s blanket of zigzag rows that she had been too preoccupied to unpack.
  4. spasm
    a painful and involuntary muscular contraction
    Mama had a coughing spasm and Hortensia tried to settle her with a glass of water.
  5. contagious
    (of disease) capable of being spread by infection
    It isn’t contagious. And the babies and young children have probably had a mild form of it already, without you even knowing. Once the body fights off the infection, it doesn’t get it again.
  6. skein
    coils of worsted yarn
    Women in the camp brought her extra skeins of yarn and Esperanza didn’t care that they didn’t match.
  7. depressed
    filled with melancholy and despondency
    She’s very weak but more than that, she is depressed and needs nursing around the clock if she is to get stronger.
  8. cope
    come to terms with
    It is a lot of strain on her body to cope with so many emotions in such a short time. Sometimes sadness and worry can make a person sicker.
  9. penetrate
    pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
    There was no wind, only silence and penetrating cold.
  10. bereft
    lacking or deprived of something
    They passed miles of naked grapevines, stripped of their harvest and bereft of their leaves.
  11. frigid
    extremely cold
    Fading into the mist, the brown and twisted trunks looked frigid and lonely.
  12. cavernous
    being or suggesting a large dark enclosed space
    Only twenty or so women gathered in the cavernous shed, sitting in a circle on upturned crates, protected from the wind by only a few stacks of empty boxes.
  13. incense
    a substance that produces a fragrant odor when burned
    Then we came home in the middle of the night, still smelling of incense from the church, and drank warm atole de chocolate, and opened our gifts.
  14. yearn
    have a desire for something or someone who is not present
    She turned toward the wall, yearning for the holidays of her past, and repeated what was becoming a nightly ritual of silent tears.
  15. rivet
    direct one's attention on something
    Esperanza’s eyes riveted on the coat and the jewelry. She wished she could give Mama a warm red coat and a pin that sparkled.
Created on Wed Jan 29 13:56:29 EST 2014 (updated Thu Jun 12 14:13:17 EDT 2025)

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