Code Name Kingfisher: Prologue–Chapter 9

by Liz Kessler
In this novel, a young Jewish girl struggling with her friendships finds her grandmother's diaries and learns about her grandmother and great-aunt's time in the Dutch resistance movement during WWII.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Prologue-Chapter 9, Chapters 10-17, Chapters 18-26, Chapters 27-35, Chapter 36-Epilogue
15 words 1 learner

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. furtively
    in a secretive manner
    He glanced furtively down the street before going inside.
  2. slink
    move or walk stealthily
    I slink back into my room and hope Dad doesn’t call me down and make me talk to her.
  3. conciliatory
    making or willing to make concessions
    ‘Of course,’ he said in a conciliatory way.
  4. let the cat out of the bag
    reveal confidential information or secrets
    ‘Let the cat out of the bag, have I?’
  5. rubbish
    nonsensical talk or writing
    I didn’t want her to change her mind, so I just gabbed on about all sorts of rubbish till we got to Karly’s street.
  6. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    With her free hand, she beckons me closer.
  7. prospect
    the possibility of future success
    ‘Mama and I are both out of work with no prospect of getting new jobs any time soon.’
  8. pittance
    an inadequate payment
    ‘We’ve been instructed to sell our house; any day now it will be taken from us by the Nazis, and the pittance we’ll receive from the authorities will barely keep us going for a month.’
  9. curfew
    an order that after a certain time activities are prohibited
    'We’re no longer allowed to use public transport. And now the curfew on Jews.’
  10. barge
    push one's way
    Sal barges past me and sits down next to Karly.
  11. delve
    inquire into
    ‘I want you to delve into your past and create a family tree.’
  12. guffaw
    laugh boisterously
    I can almost see Karly and Sal sitting there, guffawing as I speak.
  13. brusque
    rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
    ‘Of course everything’s all right,’ she says in her normal brusque voice, the spell broken.
  14. flippant
    showing an inappropriate lack of seriousness
    I was grateful for his smile, but I wondered how he could be so flippant.
  15. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    ‘That’s your sister, right?’ she asked.
    I grimaced. ‘Sorry.’
Created on Fri Dec 19 03:58:42 EST 2025 (updated Fri Jan 30 13:15:25 EST 2026)

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