Shooting Kabul: Chapters 6–9

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. sanction
    the act of punishing
    The United Nations Security Council had passed a new resolution to tighten the monitoring and enforcement of sanctions against the Taliban.
  2. funk
    a state of nervous depression
    Zalmay tried his best to pull Fadi out of his funk. He introduced him to his friends, dragged him to Lake Elizabeth park to feed the ducks, and let him play his best video games.
  3. recession
    a situation in which the state of the economy declines
    Now the adults seemed to talk a lot about some kind of recession thing that was going on.
  4. linoleum
    a floor covering made from linseed oil, cork, and resin
    They could only afford a cramped two-bedroom unit with faded linoleum, brown shag carpet, and a cracked kitchen sink.
  5. stifling
    characterized by oppressive heat and humidity
    It was a stiflingly hot August day, and the apartment, a tenth the size of their house on Shogund Street, was sweltering.
  6. claustrophobia
    a morbid fear of being closed in a confined space
    As Fadi explored the cramped space, he felt a sense of claustrophobia.
  7. miser
    a stingy hoarder of money and possessions
    She’d even talked her brother into coming along; he was a miser and had a lot of money.
  8. aloof
    distant, cold, or detached in manner
    The more he watched, the more he realized that Noor no longer seemed angry or aloof.
  9. plait
    a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair
    A girl with a long plait down her back caught his eye.
  10. cacophony
    loud confusing disagreeable sounds
    Ignoring the surrounding cacophony, he noted that math was next.
  11. wiry
    lean but strong
    She crumpled up the plane and threw it back at a wiry red-haired boy, who Fadi guessed was Ike.
  12. sheaf
    a package of several things tied together
    He reached into his bag and removed a sheaf of papers. “Here are the announcements for this week and the lunch menu.”
  13. mercurial
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
    “Oh, Habib,” sobbed Zafoona, her mood mercurial.
  14. stickler
    someone who insists on something
    Claudia, a stickler for cleanliness, had insisted that she and her brother take a bath in the museum’s fountain late at night.
  15. darkroom
    a place in which photographic film is developed
    Habib had had a small darkroom set up in their house on Shogund Street, and when he could get his hands on supplies, they would develop the rolls they had taken together.
  16. foray
    an initial attempt
    But as the Taliban had gained more power, they had banned photography, so that had ended their forays outside.
  17. compulsion
    using force to cause something to occur
    “These are not true Muslims,” he’d grumbled. “In Islam there is no compulsion in religion. One person does not have the right to dictate how another believes or lives.”
  18. permeate
    spread or diffuse through
    He paused at the doorway—the smell of paint, plaster, and glue permeated the air.
  19. myriad
    a large indefinite number
    Art supplies sat in organized piles on tall shelves—paint, colored pencils, construction paper, glue, and a myriad of other things he didn’t recognize but couldn’t wait to inspect.
  20. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    The girl tossed her black hair over her shoulder and gave him a wave. It was Anh from the cafeteria. Fadi responded with a tentative nod and looked away.
  21. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
    The pungent scent of hot oil hit him as he stopped near the counter.
  22. galley
    the area for food preparation on a ship
    He peered behind the milk shake machine, down the narrow galley.
  23. gangly
    tall, thin, and awkward
    She leaned next to a tall, gangly boy with tattoos, drinking a soda while he showed her something in a magazine.
  24. intimate
    marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity
    An image flickered in his brain, like a hazy still from a reel of film. It was Noor laughing intimately with the tattooed boy in the narrow alley behind the McDonald’s.
  25. wheedle
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    “Come on,” wheedled his father with a smile, “there must be something.”
Created on Fri Jan 17 08:43:57 EST 2020 (updated Fri Jan 17 10:22:11 EST 2020)

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