The Silence that Binds Us: Chapter 61–Epilogue

by Joanna Ho
Descended from Chinese immigrants who'd settled in California, high school junior Maybelline Chen struggles against both cultural and racist stereotypes, especially after her older brother commits suicide.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–20, Chapters 21–39, Chapters 40–60, Chapter 61–Epilogue
35 words 11 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. de facto
    existing, whether with lawful authority or not
    The magazine room has become our de facto command center for all things related to "the Resistance” as Marc started calling it.
  2. clinical
    relating to or based on direct observation of patients
    Katherine Lo, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, is probably not answering phones at this hour, but I call and leave her a message before I lose my nerve.
  3. squelch
    make a sucking sound
    My brain falls through my stomach and squelches near my lunch.
  4. thespian
    a theatrical performer
    He should probably give up football and become a thespian. He’s really good at this innocent-boy act.
  5. hypocritical
    professing feelings or virtues one does not have
    It feels a little hypocritical for me to question her like this when I’ve been twisted up and going along too.
  6. relentless
    not willing or able to stop or yield
    I’m inside the locomotive
    watching helplessly
    unable to stop this relentless path of
    heartbreak and pain.
  7. gale
    a strong wind moving 34–40 knots
    Then the train rushes past, speeding so quickly it creates a tunnel of wind that batters my body and whips my hair into a frenzy around my face. I scream. The gale catches my scream and scatters it into silence.
  8. convulse
    shake uncontrollably
    I fall to my knees and collapse over the shoebox, soaking it with tears and convulsing with uncontrollable grief.
  9. rivulet
    a small stream
    They flow from my eyes and split into rivulets that trickle down my face and drip off my cheeks.
  10. warble
    sing or play with trills
    After the last warbling note of Danny’s singing, I turn off the phone and hug it to my chest.
  11. indulgent
    given to yielding to the wishes of someone
    It’s hard to believe I was ever that small, that my mom ever smiled indulgently at me and tickled my nose.
  12. epiphany
    a usually sudden insight, perception, or understanding of something
    As I watch the woman cradle her now-sleeping fuzzball, I have a small epiphany.
  13. sparse
    not dense or plentiful
    Her small duffel seems hurriedly and sparsely packed, but she has the essentials. She has what she needs for her child.
  14. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
    I don’t think we’ve ever cried together for Danny. We’ve each been floating alone, suffering alone. I think we’ve tried to be strong for each other, but maybe we would be stronger if we could be vulnerable together.
  15. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
    “You heard her, Yam. She said you were right too. That means we were also right, got it?"
    I rub my hands together smugly.
  16. dainty
    delicately beautiful
    Celeste slips around to the side of the building, and I hear her dainty feet fly down the hall as soon as she is out of sight.
  17. reverberate
    be reflected as heat, sound, or light or shock waves
    The room's acoustics catch our chatter and throw it against the walls; it reverberates and amps up the energy.
  18. formidable
    extremely impressive in strength or excellence
    "Welcome to Sequoia Park High School, where many a formidable presenter has fallen to the unpredictable technological difficulty.”
  19. blatant
    without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
    I shouldn't have thought blatant racism could pass.
  20. acoustics
    the qualities that determine how sound is heard in a space
    But the room’s acoustics send Josh’s quiet words all the way to the back of the room, and I can’t help listening in.
  21. dwindle
    become smaller or lose substance
    Stacks of the special-edition school magazines are dwindling quickly as students snatch them up.
  22. flummox
    be a mystery or bewildering to
    Ms. Whittaker is talking rapidly to a group of administrators who seem flummoxed by the whole situation. She’s waving her hands while others shake their heads. I bet they’re trying to figure out how to stop this mess and get everyone back to class.
  23. throng
    a large gathering of people
    People keep trying to stop, hug, and talk to me, and I feel rude pushing through so quickly, but I need to see my parents.
    Before I get through the throng, I see Ms. Daniels is talking to my mom and dad.
  24. fodder
    an inferior but widely available resource used to supply heavy demand
    “This will be more fodder for your āyí from Sac to tell you not to hang out with me,” I say, laughing.
  25. engrossed
    giving or marked by complete attention to
    I survey the quad, where some students are still dancing but many others are engrossed in the magazine.
  26. comprehensive
    broad in scope
    “So you’re saying most students from the Grove are being bussed to neighboring cities because there isn’t a comprehensive public high school in your own town?”
  27. dole out
    distribute or dispense, as in small portions
    Ms. Whittaker probably doesn’t want the bad press that would follow if she doled out punishments now.
  28. euphemism
    an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one
    “I'm hoping you'll be willing to spare a few moments to talk to me. I know it's a lot to ask."
    “A lot to ask” is quite the euphemism, buddy.
  29. tapioca
    cassava starch used to thicken foods, especially puddings
    Tapioca pearls expand in my tummy, and I feel uncomfortably bloated but so satisfied.
  30. erratic
    having no fixed course
    My heart beats through my chest, and I’m sure he can hear it thumping erratically.
  31. morbid
    suggesting the horror of death and decay
    Today, we are going to sweep his grave in honor of Qīngmíng Jié, literally the Pure Brightness Festival. It's also sometimes called Tomb Sweeping Day, which sounds kind of morbid, so I don't love that name.
  32. incense
    a substance that produces a fragrant odor when burned
    I dig out the tiny incense burner we bought in Chinatown last week and find the red-and-gold incense sticks.
  33. ingot
    a piece of metal cast in the shape of a block
    While I wait for my parents to finish up, I start folding paper money into Chinese ingots.
  34. methodical
    characterized by orderliness
    I make sure every crease of the red-and-gold-foiled paper is sharp, and I fall into a methodical rhythm as I fold.
  35. flair
    distinctive and stylish elegance
    “I remember teaching him to tie his shoes when he was small. He had a hard time remembering how to do it. Then suddenly one day he was big and had figured out his own way. He always did that...added his own Danny flair to everything.”
Created on Mon Sep 25 10:53:08 EDT 2023 (updated Mon Sep 25 17:11:08 EDT 2023)

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