City of Saints and Thieves: Chapters 10–18

by Natalie C. Anderson
Following the murder of her mother, sixteen-year old Tina is on a quest for revenge. She must survive Sangui City's dangerous streets while waiting for a chance to avenge her mother's death.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–9, Chapters 10–18, Chapters 19–26, Chapters 27–37, Chapters 38–44
35 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. undermine
    weaken or impair, especially gradually
    Mr. Omoko wouldn’t have undermined his second in command in front of the rest of us.
  2. insubordination
    defiance of authority
    The Goonda boss was looking for insubordination and didn’t find it, but he should have looked deeper.
  3. plunder
    steal goods; take as spoils
    He gives me names and addresses of homes and businesses to plunder.
  4. balk
    refuse to proceed or comply
    For a brief moment I balk, unable to lift my hand.
  5. gauzy
    so thin as to transmit light
    A huge bed covered in throw pillows and hung with a gauzy mosquito net.
  6. finery
    elaborate or showy attire and accessories
    Finery or not, I want to go home to my roof so bad I can feel it in my teeth, but I ask, “When your parents get home, how are you going to explain me being here?”
  7. dabble
    work with in an amateurish manner
    Real estate mostly, but they dabble in politics, media, shipping.
  8. straggle
    go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way
    The plan was definitely to get up early and be ready to meet the Greyhills, not straggle down after everyone’s been awake for hours with creases from the bedclothes on my face.
  9. modest
    following standards of propriety in conduct or appearance
    But they seem to be the most modest things Jenny owns, which is maybe why I find them in the back of the closet.
  10. rousing
    capable of stirring enthusiasm or excitement
    “You just have to lie and smile. Smile and lie.”
    And with that rousing pep talk, I put the photo back in my pocket, open the door, and step out.
  11. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    I flush with embarrassment.
  12. benefactor
    a person who helps people or institutions
    “She’s in school here in Sangui. She has a scholarship too.”
    “Both of you with anonymous benefactors,” Mrs. Greyhill says. “You’re so fortunate. Most orphans have such hard lives.”
  13. composure
    steadiness of mind under stress
    For a second, Mr. Greyhill’s composure is broken and his face goes oddly slack.
  14. staccato
    a series of sharp, distinct sounds
    Without another word or look at her husband or son, she stands and walks out of the room, her heels a clipped staccato.
  15. niche
    a position well suited to the person who occupies it
    I’d found my niche. There were enough Goondas who could break arms and shatter windows. I would be a scalpel. Let the other guys be clubs.
  16. scanty
    lacking in extent or quantity
    In the scantiest detail possible, he relays Mr. G’s version of what happened: Mr. G heard a shot, but it took him a few minutes to make his way through the house to check on it.
  17. idly
    in a lazy, casual, or aimless way
    He glances at his watch. I wonder idly how much I could get for it at the Go-Downs.
  18. astride
    with one leg on each side
    Michael rolls forward astride a motorcycle, his face hidden under a helmet.
  19. exhilaration
    the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
    After a few minutes I start to get used to the speed and even feel my racing heart switch from fear to exhilaration.
  20. herald
    a sign indicating the approach of something or someone
    There are bicycles and chickens and children and goats, and lots of people who just stop to gape at the motorcycle, like it’s a herald of the second coming.
  21. vignette
    a short evocative scene, as in a film or play
    From the back of the bike, Old Town’s grit fades away into the vignettes I imagine the tourists see: rambling warrens of pale limestone buildings and waving palm trees; market stalls with perfect pyramids of yellow and red mangoes, frilly bunches of greens, bananas, and peppers hung like garlands.
  22. warren
    an overcrowded residential area
    From the back of the bike, Old Town’s grit fades away into the vignettes I imagine the tourists see: rambling warrens of pale limestone buildings and waving palm trees; market stalls with perfect pyramids of yellow and red mangoes, frilly bunches of greens, bananas, and peppers hung like garlands.
  23. billow
    rise and move, as in waves
    There are serious-faced men in long white kanzus and women wrapped in rainbow kanga prints or head-to-toe buibuis that billow like black sails.
  24. ply
    keep offering or supplying something desirable to someone
    We pass the big green mosque at the center of Old Town, and the hawkers who ply their wares to tourists outside the Swahili Museum: cheap Rasta necklaces and sarongs; wooden elephants and impala that stand in military lines on Masai blankets.
  25. speculation
    a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
    But he always says he needs proof. Real proof, not just theories. Theories and speculation were what got him in trouble in the first place.
  26. insinuate
    suggest in an indirect or covert way; give to understand
    He dared ask why her murder wasn’t investigated, insinuating that the police covered for Mr. G, the most likely killer.
  27. throng
    a large gathering of people
    Even from here you can see the rust on its hull and the throngs of people crowded at its rails.
  28. rendezvous
    a meeting planned at a certain time and place
    It’s more private here, in a way, than many other dingy back rooms Donatien could have chosen to make our usual rendezvous spot.
  29. stagnate
    exist in a changeless situation
    Some are covered in scaffolding, crawling with workers like ants, but most have stagnated somewhere in between, top floors gaping open with rebar and concrete.
  30. appraise
    consider in a comprehensive way
    Michael gives me an appraising look, like he’s not the one in handcuffs.
  31. stifle
    conceal or hide
    I stifle my annoyance that Boyboy has claimed it, like he always does when he comes over, and pull up a cinder block.
  32. motif
    a design that consists of recurring shapes or colors
    I resist pointing out that Boyboy is wearing a yellow kitenge jumpsuit with a flying-toaster motif, platform shoes, and a head wrap.
  33. earful
    a severe scolding
    I don’t want to ask, but I bet Boyboy’s mom freaked out when he didn’t come home for two days. I’ll get an earful the next time I see her.
  34. dubious
    fraught with uncertainty or doubt
    Boyboy still looks dubious. “I don’t like it.”
  35. livid
    furiously angry
    It’s getting late, and your mother is going to be livid.
Created on Tue Aug 23 10:30:50 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Sep 23 12:42:48 EDT 2022)

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