Sheine Lende: Chapters 15–23

by Darcie Little Badger
In this prequel to Elatsoe, Shane and her mother are known for their skill in finding missing persons, but when Shane's mother goes missing, Shane must learn to use her skills alone to find her.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–9, Chapters 10–14, Chapters 15–23, Chapters 24–33
15 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. elucidate
    make clear and comprehensible
    “In just a few minutes, it elucidates the vexing nature of mimics.”
  2. celluloid
    a medium that disseminates moving pictures
    Another switch sent the machine’s wheels turning, and, frame by frame, the celluloid film unspooled and ran in front of the intense beam of light, projecting a moving picture in front of them.
  3. terse
    brief and to the point
    The response was terse, his eyes sharp with indignation.
  4. ruse
    a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture
    Was that the truth, or a ruse?
  5. schism
    division of a group into opposing factions
    Had there been a falling out? A horrible schism?
  6. stifling
    causing one to feel inhibited or oppressed
    Standing abruptly, Shane walked to the cabin door, planning to excuse herself from the stifling bedroom, but as she passed Donnie, her friend held out the phone receiver and said, “Hey, wait! Grandma wants to talk to you.”
  7. implicit
    suggested though not directly expressed
    Shane could sense the question in her tone, the implicit: Why would your family do this?
  8. mirth
    great merriment
    No mirth remained in her voice.
  9. resolute
    firm in purpose or belief
    The Elder’s voice still trembled, but her tone was resolute.
  10. resonance
    the characteristic of having a loud deep sound
    A moment later, his voice, with the resonance of a distant echo, flowed from the hollow belly of the shell: Ten fifteen…and…fifty-one seconds.
  11. embolden
    give encouragement to
    Emboldened by his closeness, Shane crouched, lowered her hand Below, and felt cool, dry air against her fingers.
  12. catharsis
    purging of emotional tensions
    If horror movies bring Donnie some kind of catharsis—or maybe just a brief escape—who am I to judge?
  13. emaciated
    very thin, especially from disease or hunger or cold
    It was certainly hot, though, and she realized her surroundings roughly resembled a fusion of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts, with sandy yellow soil, emaciated creosote, and a haphazard sprinkling of scrub, cacti, and drought-tolerant grasses.
  14. foreboding
    a feeling of evil to come
    With a growing sense of foreboding, she thought back to a display on “giants of the Ice Age,” which featured a woolly mammoth standing over a pair of snarling saber tooth tigers and a short-faced bear that made grizzlies seem compact in comparison.
  15. aghast
    struck with fear, dread, or consternation
    I’ve never seen Ma look so…so… you may not understand this word, but it’s the best I got: aghast.
Created on Wed Aug 26 08:40:55 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Sep 08 12:23:28 EDT 2026)

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