Where the River Takes Us: Chapters 27–43

by Lesley Parr
In Britain, 1974, many families struggled financially due to a coal shortage — and 13-year-old Jason (and his older brother) struggled even more since their parents had recently died. Hoping to reverse their situation, Jason and three friends embark on a quest to win reward money for finding a wildcat that roams a nearby forest, but their journey will ultimately change them forever.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–18, Chapters 19–26, Chapters 27–43
15 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. brunt
    the main part, especially of a force or shock
    None of us dares look back in case we get one in the face. Thank God for our rucksacks, they take the brunt of it.
  2. portcullis
    an iron or wooden grating hanging in the entry to a castle
    The exit is different to the entrance, it’s got a gate which covers the very top, a bit like a portcullis on a castle. As we pass under it, Tam has to duck. They all keep going but I stop to look at the gate. It’s rusty and must have gone up and down by a winding mechanism—there’s a set of cogs and a handle.
    ‘Hey!’ I point to the portcullis. ‘Reckon we can get this closed?’
  3. hostel
    a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
    We dig out our torches and tramp on. It can’t be a house, Jinx would have said if we were staying with someone he knows. A hostel? No, we don’t have money for that.
  4. blasphemous
    grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred
    ‘Shut it, Jenkins. I am not sleeping in a church!’
    ‘Huh? I thought you’d like it more than any of us.’
    ‘It’s blasphemous!’
    ‘What’s blasphemous about it though?’ I ask. ‘You go to church every Sunday.’
  5. labyrinth
    complex system of paths in which it is easy to get lost
    ‘Gits,’ Catrin says, her eyes narrowing. ‘I hope they got lost in that tunnel. I hope there was a secret labyrinth in it and no one finds their withered bodies for years.’
  6. imprint
    a concavity in a surface produced by pressing
    ‘Paw prints!’ Catrin says.
    ‘Tracks of a big mammal,’ Paul says. ‘See by the depth of imprint? Had to be a decent weight.’
  7. retract
    pull inward or towards a center
    ‘No sign of claw marks either. Can’t be a dog, they can’t retract their claws.’
  8. sheepish
    showing a sense of shame
    He jogs off. When he reaches the lump, he nudges it with his boot, then hurries back.
    ‘False alarm.’ He sits again.
    ‘What was it?’ Catrin asks.
    He looks a bit sheepish. ‘A Mother’s Pride bread bag.’
  9. flail
    thrash about
    As soon as Tam gets off me, I spring up and fly down the slope, arms flailing like a crazy windmill.
  10. grudgingly
    in a reluctant manner
    Richie lets go of me. ‘Go on. I’ll be okay.’
    Grudgingly I go with the fireman called Tom and my mates to the other side of the yard.
  11. bullion
    gold or silver in bars or ingots
    ‘Is that it?’ Bethan asks. ‘You’re not keeping anything else from us?’ We shake our heads. ‘No stolen jewels under your bedroom floorboards? No gold bullion in the coal bunker?’
  12. magistrate
    a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law
    Richie had to go to court, but the police got him in front of the magistrate quickly because he was helpful and didn’t try to make out like he was innocent.
  13. custody
    holding by the police
    He wouldn’t let me see him in custody, so Nigel kept visiting.
  14. remorse
    a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed
    He smiles a bit. ‘Yeah, but no cameras. The police think I have a very good chance of avoiding a prison sentence. Because I’ve shown remorse and because, well…’ He picks some fluff off his best trousers. ‘There are mitigating circumstances.’
  15. mitigating circumstance
    something that does not exonerate a person but reduces a penalty
    He smiles a bit. ‘Yeah, but no cameras. The police think I have a very good chance of avoiding a prison sentence. Because I’ve shown remorse and because, well…’ He picks some fluff off his best trousers. ‘There are mitigating circumstances.’
Created on Mon Aug 10 17:22:54 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Sep 01 13:28:10 EDT 2026)

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