The Parker Inheritance: Chapters 1–8

by Varian Johnson
While spending the summer at her grandmother's house in Lambert, South Carolina, Candice finds an intriguing old letter in the attic. She joins forces with a neighbor to follow the clues in the letter and find a hidden treasure — but solving the mystery means uncovering past injustices in Lambert.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–18, Chapters 19–29, Chapters 30–40, Chapters 41–52
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. loom
    appear very large or occupy a commanding position
    A large yellow backhoe loomed in the distance.
  2. fallout
    any adverse and unwanted secondary effect
    “I know,” she said. “I’ll deal with any fallout tomorrow.” She couldn’t risk starting the operation during daylight hours. It would draw too much attention.
  3. con
    (offensive) a swindle that cheats someone out of money
    “Your grandma somehow got it in her head that there was a buried treasure hidden somewhere in the city. She talked to the mayor about it. He told her to drop it. It seemed like one big con job.”
  4. confidentiality
    discretion in keeping secret information
    They agreed not to press charges if she signed a confidentiality agreement and destroyed all her research.
  5. facilitate
    increase the likelihood of
    Despite her mother trying her best to facilitate a real conversation, they ate their food (surprisingly good, Candice noted) as quickly as they could, then headed to the library.
  6. chronological
    relating to or arranged according to the order of time
    She wondered if he was talking about publication order or chronological order, but asking seemed a bit too hoity-toity.
  7. inept
    generally incompetent and ineffectual
    “Instead of positively showing what a black woman could do as city manager,” the politician wrote, “Abigail Caldwell’s inept and incompetent actions have set back racial progress at least thirty years.”
  8. incompetent
    showing lack of skill or aptitude
    “Instead of positively showing what a black woman could do as city manager,” the politician wrote, “Abigail Caldwell’s inept and incompetent actions have set back racial progress at least thirty years.”
  9. frayed
    worn away or tattered along the edges
    Candice stretched out on the couch with her eyes glued to her dad’s old iPod touch and her feet tucked underneath a frayed throw pillow.
  10. rickety
    inclined to shake as from weakness or defect
    Brandon flipped on the light, and they headed up the rickety stairs.
  11. intrusive
    tending to enter uninvited
    The letter was addressed to her grandmother; it seemed intrusive to read it.
  12. behalf
    as the agent of or on someone's part
    I write to you on behalf of the Washington family.
  13. discrimination
    unfair treatment of a person or group based on prejudice
    Enoch, Leanne, and Siobhan Washington became the newest victims of the city’s long-standing discrimination against black people.
  14. wreak
    cause to happen or to occur as a consequence
    My goal was to wreak havoc not only on the Allens, but the entire city.
  15. compassion
    a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering
    She asked me to show compassion.
  16. reckoning
    problem solving that involves numbers or quantities
    Thus I have created an opportunity for Lambert to earn back everything I took from the city—a fortune totaling $40 million at my last reckoning.
  17. allocate
    distribute according to a plan or set apart for a purpose
    The person who finds this “inheritance” will receive a tenth of the money; the remainder will be allocated to the city.
  18. personify
    attribute human qualities to something
    And she was beauty personified on the tennis courts.
  19. collegiate
    of or resembling or typical of a university
    Easily talented enough to thrive on the collegiate and national levels.
  20. squander
    spend thoughtlessly; throw away
    Siobhan is the key; the one who will lead you to my fortune. She is the only reason you are getting this opportunity. Do not squander it.
  21. superintendent
    a person who directs and manages an organization
    I have sent similar versions of this letter to the mayor, the school district superintendent, the chair of the school board, and the editor of the Lambert Trader.
  22. clammy
    unpleasantly cool and humid
    Candice placed the letter on the table, then wiped her still clammy, sweaty hands on her jeans.
  23. progressive
    favoring or promoting modern or innovative ideas
    Candice’s father, who was supposed to be chauffeuring the girls to the mall and not listening in on them, quickly jumped into the conversation, telling them they didn’t need to worry about the Ku Klux Klan, especially in a progressive city like Lambert.
  24. brittle
    having little elasticity
    The paper was stiff. Stale. Brittle.
  25. masonry
    the craft of building with stone or brick
    Brandon sat down beside her at the table, his backpack still on his shoulders. “Did you see that empty lot across from the library? The one filled with masonry bricks?”
  26. cringe
    draw back, as with fear, pain, or embarrassment
    Candice tried not to cringe as he read to himself, his lips moving silently as he made his way down the page.
  27. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
    He was just a boy from across the street. But there was something about the way he sat there, with the welts beading up on his face, wearing a backpack way too big for his frame.
  28. superfluous
    serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
    “Well, there’s a lot of stuff in the letter that’s kind of superfluous,” he said.
  29. pendant
    an adornment that hangs from a piece of jewelry
    Tori wore all black, except for a pair of purple boots and a small silver pendant around her neck.
  30. meek
    evidencing little spirit or courage
    Candice waved meekly. “Hi,” she mumbled. A piece of cookie fell out of her mouth. She could have died.
  31. spoilsport
    someone who ruins the pleasure of others
    Tori rolled her eyes. Spoilsport, she mouthed.
  32. perplexed
    full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment
    “I won’t lie, most of us were right perplexed. People couldn’t understand how the city manager could screw up so much that she’d tear up a perfectly good tennis court. But when they followed the paper trail, the work order led right back to her.”
  33. transmission
    the gears that transfer power from an automobile engine
    “Okay. Now I get it.” He grinned. “How about this? I’ve been at Chuck’s all morning, helping him replace the transmission in his old Plymouth Barracuda. Let me spruce up a bit, and I’ll be back down.”
  34. spruce
    dress and groom with particular care
    “Okay. Now I get it.” He grinned. “How about this? I’ve been at Chuck’s all morning, helping him replace the transmission in his old Plymouth Barracuda. Let me spruce up a bit, and I’ll be back down.”
  35. void
    an empty area or space
    But before she could say anything to fill the awkward void, Brandon opened his backpack, pulled out a book, and flipped to the first page.
  36. blue blood
    a member of the aristocracy or upper class
    “Of course, I didn’t really know him. The Allens were a whole different type of white people. A little too blue-blood for us regular folks. From what I understand, Russell’s daughter ran the family business after he died. She was the only halfway decent one. Most black folks steered clear of Russell Allen’s sons.”
  37. furrow
    make or become wrinkled or creased
    Rudolph Gibbs’s forehead furrowed so his eyebrows bunched together.
  38. condensation
    atmospheric moisture that has changed from a gas
    He wiped some condensation from the glass.
  39. dredge up
    bring to mind something unpleasant from the past
    “Big Duband his family were gone, and they weren’t coming back. What was the point in dredging up the past?”
  40. benefactor
    a person who helps people or institutions
    She could tell he was wondering the same thing she was—was this tied to the mysterious benefactor from the library?
Created on Fri Jun 29 19:16:46 EDT 2018 (updated Tue Jul 10 09:28:37 EDT 2018)

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