Before We Were Free: Chapters 4–7

by Julia Alvarez
Twelve-year-old Anita has grown up in the Dominican Republic during the brutal Trujillo regime. When her family gets caught up in an attempt to overthrow the dictator, Anita must find her own path to freedom.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–7, Chapters 8–11

Here are links to our lists for other works by Julia Alvarez: How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, In the Time of the Butterflies, Names/Nombres
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. tendency
    an inclination to do something
    Although Sam knows a little Spanish, he rarely understands Chucha, who has a tendency to mumble and mix in Haitian words with her Spanish.
  2. materialize
    come into being; become reality
    As if Chucha not only gives answers but makes them materialize, a face appears at the window of the small house.
  3. lavish
    characterized by extravagance and profusion
    Lucinda has told her how a girl’s fifteenth birthday is really important in our country. Some parents throw quinceañera parties as lavish as weddings.
  4. grievance
    a complaint about a wrong that causes resentment
    “Like what? We can’t go to the country club, we can’t go to the beach.” Susie goes through her list of grievances.
  5. commiserate
    feel or express sympathy or compassion
    “I didn’t have a party for my birthday, either,” I offer.
    “Poor kid,” Susie commiserates.
  6. baffle
    be a mystery or bewildering to
    The consul’s wife smiled tensely and said, “Oh, dear, that’s too bad,” which baffled Mami completely, as she thought Yale was the school where the best families in the United States educated their sons.
  7. punctuate
    interrupt periodically
    Voices drift over from the neighboring yard, punctuated every now and then by the report of firecrackers going off in different parts of the city in honor of Independence Day.
  8. dawdle
    take one's time; proceed slowly
    “Come along now, don’t dawdle. The pastelitos are getting cold.”
  9. squeamish
    easily disturbed or disgusted by unpleasant things
    It’s no secret to any of us that Lorena is really superstitious and squeamish. She won’t wash her hair or cut her nails on Friday. She can’t stand the sight of blood.
  10. disarray
    untidiness, especially of clothing and appearance
    In Lucinda’s bedroom, everything is in disarray. Piles of matching blouses and skirts lie all over her bed.
  11. consolation
    the comfort you feel when soothed in times of disappointment
    The thought of losing Lucinda to the United States of America, hard as she sometimes is on me, is too sad to think about. Not even the thought of falling in love with Sam is a consolation anymore.
  12. divulge
    make known to the public information previously kept secret
    I promise not to divulge her secrets, but for the first time, I ask her to return the favor.
  13. intone
    recite musically; recite as a chant or a psalm
    “San Miguel,” Chucha intones, “protect this house from all enemies. Expel the bad. Bring all to safety who dwell within. Amen.”
  14. dissident
    a person who objects to some established policy
    I’ve heard the men say that there are dissidents everywhere — even among the armed forces and policemen and cabinet members — just waiting for a signal that El Jefe is out of the way.
  15. motorcade
    a procession of people traveling in vehicles
    Today, traffic is heavy. Probably, El Jefe’s car is expected down the main avenue, which means cars will be backed up until his motorcade passes.
Created on Thu Feb 21 15:55:09 EST 2019 (updated Mon Jul 28 14:44:28 EDT 2025)

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