Shooting Kabul: Chapters 1–2

by N.H. Senzai
When Fadi's family flees Afghanistan for the United States, his younger sister Mariam is accidentally left behind. Fadi enters a photography contest in the hopes that his winnings will allow him to find Mariam.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–5, Chapters 6–9, Chapters 10–14, Chapters 15–19, Chapter 20–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. brooding
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    It’s a perfect night to run away, thought Fadi, casting a brooding look at the bright sheen of the moon through the cracked backseat window.
  2. careen
    move sideways or in an unsteady way
    With the headlights turned off, the car careened over a rocky plain, rattling the passengers’ teeth.
  3. desolate
    providing no shelter or sustenance
    Fadi pressed his nose against the cold glass, peering across the desolate landscape.
  4. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
    Another mile and they arrived at the outskirts of the sprawling city of Jalalabad, in the eastern province of Afghanistan.
  5. riddle
    pierce with many holes
    The concrete walls were riddled with bullet holes and grenade blasts.
  6. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    She pushed open the door and stepped out first, followed gingerly by their mother.
  7. drab
    lacking brightness or color; dull
    Noor and Fadi’s mother stood enveloped in burkas, two smudges of light blue against the drab gray walls.
  8. meager
    deficient in amount or quality or extent
    After a heated whispered discussion the driver finally pocketed the money and opened the trunk so that Habib could pull out their meager belongings.
  9. emporium
    a large shop organized into sections
    Fadi peered down the empty street, trying to make out the words on the broken signs lying on the dusty pavement, ZAKARIA’S PAPER EMPORIUM read one, while another claimed to have the finest writing vellum in all of Afghanistan.
  10. vellum
    fine parchment prepared from the skin of a young animal
    Fadi peered down the empty street, trying to make out the words on the broken signs lying on the dusty pavement, ZAKARIA’S PAPER EMPORIUM read one, while another claimed to have the finest writing vellum in all of Afghanistan.
  11. blustery
    blowing in violent and abrupt bursts
    It was a blustery day in January as the family sat together at breakfast, trying to keep warm under layers of clothing.
  12. understatement
    something said in a restrained way for ironic contrast
    "Situation." That’s an understatement, thought Fadi as he resumed stirring his milk.
  13. ail
    cause physical suffering to and make sick or indisposed
    The few doctors left in Kabul didn’t have the right equipment to diagnose what was ailing her or the right medication to make her better.
  14. prod
    urge on; cause to act
    “And you did help them? Right?” prodded Mariam.
  15. impertinence
    the trait of being rude and inclined to take liberties
    Zafoona’s lips tightened at her impertinence, but she stayed silent.
  16. apprehension
    fearful expectation or anticipation
    Fadi looked at his father’s defeated expression with growing apprehension.
  17. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    He turned to Mariam, his expression solemn.
  18. mar
    cause to become imperfect
    Now she clutched Gulmina at her side and looked up at Fadi, a frown marring her usually cheerful round face.
  19. sacrilegious
    grossly irreverent toward what is considered holy
    The Taliban had banned all toys that depicted human figures, since they were considered sacrilegious, so Gulmina was hidden away in the folds of the bright cloth.
  20. bray
    make a sound characteristic of donkeys
    A braying donkey rounded the corner, its owner in tow, causing the family to shrink against the building, trying to disappear into the shadows.
  21. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    “Oh, Rosebud, my lovely four-legged friend,” coaxed the man.
  22. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
    Fadi smiled and shrugged off his morose thoughts.
  23. periodical
    a publication that appears at fixed intervals
    The bookshelf in their living room at home now held only an assortment of religious bound volumes and his father’s periodicals on agriculture.
  24. refugee
    an exile who flees for safety
    “To Peshawar,” whispered Fadi. “It’s a city on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Remember Mother told you that her cousin lives there? She and her husband run a clinic for refugees, and they’re going to meet us at the border.”
  25. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    Habib had thrown the suitcases onto the back of the truck and had clambered on board.
Created on Fri Jan 17 08:43:22 EST 2020 (updated Fri Jan 17 08:55:57 EST 2020)

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