That Which Feeds Us: Chapters 1–7

by Keala Kendall
A native Hawaiian girl is stranded on a luxury resort while searching for her missing twin.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–13, Chapters 14–19, Chapters 20–24, Chapters 26–Epilogue
15 words 35 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. moor
    secure in or as if in a berth or dock
    She couldn’t shake the eerie sense that she was moored to the dead’s bedside in the hushed mortuary.
  2. blithely
    in a joyous, carefree, or unconcerned manner
    “She’s taking a year off,” her roommate had said blithely.
  3. bemused
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
    There was no irritation in the girl’s voice, but her expression had gone from wistful to bemused.
  4. gossamer
    a gauze fabric with an extremely fine texture
    The last photograph they’d had of her had long faded, worn into shreds like torn gossamer.
  5. lambent
    softly bright or radiant
    Melia’s finger pointed toward the lambent horizon.
  6. resolute
    firm in purpose or belief
    Lehua had staged enough disappearing acts of her own to recognize that same resolute look in Melia’s eyes.
  7. waspish
    very irritable
    “Ohia. Her real name is Ohia Sayers,” Lehua corrected in a waspish voice she instantly regretted.
  8. heady
    extremely exciting as if by alcohol or a narcotic
    She began to walk away, her gut tightening with heady anticipation at seeing the pretty Hawaiian girl.
  9. remiss
    failing in what duty requires
    “Our workers stay in a co-ed longhouse. You’ll be much more comfortable here. Besides, we would be remiss to not offer our full hospitality. Your sister may not have stayed with us for long, but she was one of our workers. I hate to use such a cliché statement, but we consider all our staff family.”
  10. bureaucratic
    of or relating to unnecessary procedures and red tape
    A call from Chiyo could help guarantee her sister wasn’t left in the same bureaucratic sinkhole that had claimed their mom.
  11. intersperse
    place between or among
    Silver tintypes were interspersed with faded paintings, a collection of black-and-white photographs of the island, sepia-toned canvases, and sleek, glossy photos of glittering parties.
  12. undercurrent
    a feeling or tendency that is not explicitly expressed
    Lehua nodded, but she had detected an undercurrent of bitterness in Chiyo’s voice.
  13. astringent
    acidic or bitter in taste or smell
    Sour musk, browned sugar, and something astringent like antiseptic clung to the air, nauseatingly so.
  14. spartan
    marked by simplicity, frugality, or self-denial
    A bright contrast to the spartan room.
  15. acrid
    strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
    Her tea was acrid with a strange metallic taste like ash, reminding her of the crematorium.
Created on Wed Sep 30 07:48:26 EDT 2026 (updated Wed Sep 30 09:48:52 EDT 2026)

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