"The Pecan Sheller" by Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Chapters 14–18

Sandy (United States of America)
Thirteen-year-old Petra wanted to finish school and become a writer, but her family's financial woes in late 1930s San Antonio, Texas forced her to drop out and succumb to demoralizing factory work at below poverty-level wages. Her future seemed bleak until she and her coworkers organized and went on strike for better wages and work conditions.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–18, Chapters 19–30
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ashen
    pale from illness or emotion
    The following week, Petra was so deep in thought about school that she didn’t notice Amá going into Don Ignacio’s office. Doña Ramoncita nudged her as the door closed. Amá was in there for only a short time, but when she came out, her face was ashen.
  2. dwindling
    gradually decreasing until little remains
    “We’ll do better once I start working on la banda,” Petra said. She tried not to think of the dwindling food in the pantry.
  3. searing
    intense or sharp
    A few nights later, Petra went to the outhouse before going to bed. As she walked the worn dirt path in the darkness, she tripped over Samuel’s wagon, landing flat on her face. “Aaaargh!”
    She picked herself up and felt a searing pain in her ankle.
  4. misshapen
    so badly formed or distorted as to be ugly
    Her ankle was not healing. In fact, it was so swollen that it looked misshapen.
  5. contempt
    open disrespect for a person or thing
    With a scathing look of contempt, Petra left his office.
    At Petra’s old table, Doña Ramoncita made space for her in front of a pile of pecans that awaited shelling.
  6. impeccable
    without error or flaw
    By the end of the week, Amá had some customers: the insurance man who needed his white shirts washed, starched, and ironed; the young pharmacy worker who wanted her uniforms laundered; the widow who kept an impeccable house and expected her embroidered pillowcases and doilies to be ironed perfectly.
  7. meager
    deficient in amount or quality or extent
    “Things aren’t getting any better,” Petra said flatly a few weeks later over a meager supper of beans.
    In fact, things seemed to be getting worse.
  8. tranquil
    free from disturbance by heavy waves
    When she slept, she dreamed that her tranquil Chihuahua Creek had suddenly turned into a monstrous raging river, sweeping away everything in its path.
  9. self-conscious
    excessively aware of your appearance or behavior
    So Petra, Samuel, and Elena waited in line for the nuns to open the doors of the church’s small community center. It seemed to Petra like the entire barrio was there. That made her feel less self-conscious.
  10. raspy
    unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
    “That’s for sure. He—” Another raspy cough racked Ofelia’s body. She held the handkerchief to her mouth to suppress it.
  11. haggard
    showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
    Ofelia’s mother answered the door. She had three little ones to take care of, including a baby, which made it impossible for her to work at the moment. Tall and skinny, she had the same dark hair as Ofelia, though it was more unkempt than Ofelia’s ever was. The creases on her forehead and the haggard look on her face stood out.
  12. aback
    by surprise
    “She’s in bed,” the woman said, trying to shush the toddler in her arms.
    Petra was taken aback at how much the toddler looked like Ofelia.
  13. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    Petra sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. “Hello, Ofelia. It’s me, Petra.”
    Ofelia’s eyelids moved, but she didn’t open her eyes.
  14. depiction
    representation by drawing, painting, etc.
    The coffin rested in the main aisle close to the altar, its lid open. Petra glanced at the Stations of the Cross, the depictions of biblical scenes lining the stucco walls of the church. Dear God, she prayed, please take care of my friend Ofelia.
  15. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    “Came to pay my respects,” Don Ignacio said, tipping his hat to her.
    Petra glowered at him. “It’s your stupid pecan dust that killed her! You wouldn’t even let her take time off until she was at death’s door! You worked her into the ground.”
Created on Wed Mar 18 20:38:13 EDT 2026 (updated Sun Mar 22 13:57:40 EDT 2026)

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