I Must Betray You: Chapters 37–63

by Ruta Sepetys
In 1989 Romania, with the country controlled by a dictator, seventeen-year-old aspiring writer Cristian Florescu dreams of freedom, especially when he is blackmailed by the secret police into informing on the family of an American diplomat.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: "Beneath the Gilded Frame"–Chapter 7, Chapters 8–17, Chapters 18–36, Chapters 37–63, Chapter 64–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. diaspora
    the dispersion of something that was originally localized
    “Romanians who live outside of the country—the diaspora and exiles—they’re on our side and will spread the word,” insisted Bunu.
  2. warble
    sing or play with trills
    The low hum of our radio warbled with news.
  3. oust
    remove from a position or office
    He was unpopular. Even Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev disapproved of Bulgaria’s leader.
    The country began...to oust him.
  4. defect
    desert in order to join the opposing cause, country, or army
    Nadia Comăneci defected. She trekked through the woods, made it over the border into Hungary, and requested asylum.
  5. plight
    a situation from which extrication is difficult
    If Romania’s superstars were suffering, would the world finally understand the terrible plight of the ordinary Romanian people?
  6. musing
    a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
    I created a section called Gânduri—Thoughts—which contained musings like these:
    Paradise: If communism is Paradise, why do we need barriers, walls, and laws to keep people from escaping?
  7. succession
    a following of one thing after another in time
    Half a dozen communist regimes had fallen in succession, yet Romania remained unaffected.
  8. leverage
    strategic advantage; power to act effectively
    That U.S. dollar had led the Securitate to me.
    It gave them leverage to recruit me as an informer and plunged me into moral misery.
  9. taper
    stick of wax with a wick in the middle
    Burning taper candles stood in pots of sand, flickering through the darkness.
  10. terse
    brief and to the point
    “I said, go inside.”
    His tone wasn’t of someone who had just lost his father. It was terse, urgent.
  11. gaunt
    very thin, especially from disease or hunger or cold
    Bunu’s gray skin stretched gaunt and taut over his angular cheekbones.
  12. entity
    that which is perceived to have its own distinct existence
    Sorrow. Anger. An expanse of emptiness that takes form as a separate entity living inside of you. It digs, takes root, and dwells there.
  13. dissident
    a person who objects to some established policy
    Your grandfather was a wonderful man. Intelligent, energetic, with such a sense of justice. But his thoughts and ideas—they labeled him a dissident.
  14. pertain
    be relevant to
    Shortly thereafter, Cristian Florescu (17) exited the apartment and began a private conversation with Luca Oprea (17) pertaining to discovery of mutual relationship with Liliana Pavel.
  15. anemic
    lacking vigor or energy
    The light between the walls shifted to an anemic blue gray.
  16. directive
    a pronouncement encouraging or banning some activity
    Listen to Radio Free Europe. That’s what it said.
    Not, “We’ll listen to Radio Free Europe.”
    Me. Alone. It was a directive.
  17. profusely
    in very large amounts or quantities; extremely
    I began to sweat. Profusely.
  18. exploit
    use or manipulate to one's advantage
    A friend I spent time with because the Secu had blackmailed me to. A friend who was referred to as my “target.” A friend whose father I was exploiting to get information out of Romania.
  19. affiliated
    being joined in close association
    Each night when we listened to Voice of America and Radio Free Europe we learned of writers, poets, and journalists who fought against the regime.
    “Apparently Bunu’s friend was affiliated with a literary magazine that...”
  20. ruse
    a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture
    I fought to keep up the ruse, to act calm.
  21. finesse
    plan, manage, or direct with subtle and skillful maneuvering
    As I finessed the dial, a few words emerged from the static.
  22. precarious
    fraught with danger
    It was 550 kilometers from Bucharest to Timişoara, a seven-hour drive, longer with our precarious roads.
  23. mobilize
    make ready for action or use
    He’d mobilize his death squads of blue-eyed boys from beneath the belly of the capital to kill his own people.
  24. fortitude
    strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity
    Cici and my parents were full of fear rather than fortitude.
  25. decoy
    a person or thing that misleads by drawing attention away
    He turned on the radio, and then the faucet. Noise decoys.
  26. truncheon
    a short stout club used primarily by police officers
    It has been reported that political prisoners have been tortured by being beaten on the soles of the feet or being kicked and beaten with rubber truncheons.
  27. turmoil
    violent agitation
    According to Ceauşescu, hooligans and foreign agents were creating turmoil and unrest.
  28. hooligan
    a rowdy, violent, and typically youthful troublemaker
    Was I a hooligan?
    Maybe.
    Was there unrest?
    Definitely.
  29. devise
    come up with after a mental effort
    So I stuffed them into my jacket pocket and finished devising my plan.
  30. badger
    persuade through constant efforts
    They were badgering Mama for information on the Americans, but she wouldn’t give them anything.
  31. liability
    something that holds you back
    Meeting with source FRITZI was compromised this morning by the appearance of her brother, OSCAR. As previously reported, OSCAR is now a liability and must be dealt with.
  32. extol
    praise, glorify, or honor
    Some hoisted red signs declaring LONG LIVE CEAUŞESCU and other phrases extolling the glory of communism.
  33. adulation
    exaggerated flattery or praise
    Communist adulation rallies were commonplace in Romania. Over the years, we had all been dragged from school or work to hold signs and salute the leader.
  34. esteemed
    having an illustrious reputation; respected
    “Our much beloved and esteemed leader of the Party, the eminent patriot...has given us prosperity and provided full independence of socialist Romania...”
  35. socialist
    advocating the state ownership of industry
    “Our much beloved and esteemed leader of the Party, the eminent patriot...has given us prosperity and provided full independence of socialist Romania...”
  36. eminent
    standing above others in quality or position
    Eminent patriot? After Timişoara? Our leader had gunned down innocent human beings—students my age.
  37. jeer
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    But people continued to jeer anyway.
    Groups of university students appeared, booing and shouting.
  38. palpable
    capable of being perceived
    And our despicable leader was rattled, shaken, trying to calm the people, trying to remain in command. In a quarter of a century, this had never happened in Bucharest. The feeling was palpable, a breaking and cracking, the dam of oppression bursting.
  39. oppression
    the state of being kept down by unjust use of authority
    And our despicable leader was rattled, shaken, trying to calm the people, trying to remain in command. In a quarter of a century, this had never happened in Bucharest. The feeling was palpable, a breaking and cracking, the dam of oppression bursting.
  40. euphoric
    characterized by a feeling of well-being or elation
    The sensation of speaking up, speaking aloud instead of in whispers, it was euphoric.
Created on Wed Jan 24 12:57:49 EST 2024 (updated Thu Jan 25 14:01:37 EST 2024)

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