The Rebel Girls of Rome: Chapters 12–16

by Jordyn Taylor
This multi-timeline novel follows the story of two young women: Lilah, a college student visiting Rome with her grandfather in pursuit of a family secret, and Bruna, a Jewish girl living in Nazi-occupied Rome.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–7, Chapters 8–11, Chapters 12–16, Chapters 17–23
15 words 1 learner

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. deviant
    markedly different from an accepted norm
    I know it’s better that we keep things professional between us, but this awareness does nothing to stop the gnawing behind my ribs—the deviant creature desperate to break free of its cage.
  2. trivial
    of little substance or significance
    I get excited that she’s talking to me about something trivial—only for a second, before I remember it’s all an act for the other shoppers browsing nearby.
  3. clandestine
    conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
    We emerge into a cellar lit by a single hanging light bulb, under which sits a clandestine printing press.
  4. proffer
    present for acceptance or rejection
    Somewhat reluctantly, she proffers her elbow. I link my arm through hers.
  5. undue
    not appropriate or proper in the circumstances
    “I didn’t want to put any undue pressure on him.”
  6. cut from the same cloth
    very similar
    The Italian authorities who arrested Giuseppe the bookseller are cut from the same cloth as the Germans who raided my neighborhood.
  7. harried
    troubled persistently, especially with petty annoyances
    Nearby, a toddler wails, and his harried mother shouts at him to be quiet.
  8. peruse
    examine or consider with attention and in detail
    They’re both perusing pages from Il Messaggero, which the Germans have allowed to remain on newsstands—presumably as long as it continues to support the Italian Social Republic.
  9. surveillance
    close observation of a person or group
    The first step toward taking him out is surveillance.
  10. awry
    away from the correct or expected course
    To help take my mind off all the ways tomorrow’s mission could go awry, I turn to my old distraction from the grim world around me: drawing.
  11. spindly
    long, thin, and often weak or fragile
    Little Carla used to love when I drew those; she thought they were funny-looking, with their tall, spindly trunks.
  12. unfathomable
    impossible to come to understand
    The idea is unfathomable—and intoxicating.
  13. intoxicating
    extremely exciting
    The idea is unfathomable—and intoxicating.
  14. assent
    agreement with a statement or proposal to do something
    Everyone nods and murmurs their assent.
  15. faze
    disturb the composure of
    The blood pooling around them doesn’t faze me.
Created on Mon Mar 23 06:51:30 EDT 2026 (updated Mon Jun 01 19:19:56 EDT 2026)

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