Ripped Away: Chapters 14–18

by Shirley Reva Vernick
On September 22, middle grader Abe Pearlman is transported from the twenty-first century to 1888, when rumors about the murderous Jack the Ripper are gripping London.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–18
35 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bleak
    offering little or no hope
    Duvid has been out of jail for a week now, a bleak, endless week. Mitzy and I trudge through the days pretending they’re normal ones, but nothing is even close to normal, and we don’t know if it ever will be.
  2. scrawny
    being very thin
    Up ahead, one especially scrawny girl is using a stick to stir what looks like a bucket full of laundry.
  3. gust
    a strong current of air
    She clasps the collar of her coat when a gust of wind blows in.
  4. census
    a periodic count of the population
    “Every summer, they count the swans on the Thames River. Like a census.”
  5. derby
    a felt hat that is round and hard with a narrow brim
    At the stall a man in an apron and derby hat is holding court with a woman who wants to know why the green cabbages look purple.
  6. superstitious
    showing faith in magic and ignorance of the laws of nature
    “It’s just a cat, Mitz.” I don’t tell her the cat has a pigeon in its jaws.
    “What color is it?” she asks. “Not black, right?”
    “Don’t tell me you’re superstitious.”
  7. urchin
    a poor and often mischievous city child
    We pass tenements and poorhouses, old ladies and street urchins, garbage and more garbage.
  8. stout
    fairly large
    The stout woman behind the counter doesn’t look up from her candy-making.
  9. rave
    praise enthusiastically
    “It smells awesome,” Mitzy raves.
  10. fancy
    imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind
    “Fancy running into you. I was just returning your bucket.”
  11. pucker
    become wrinkled or drawn together
    I look into the pail and see a bunch of brown puckered lumps.
  12. brine
    a strong solution of salt and water used for pickling
    “I’m sorry, Mrs. Graham, we can’t eat those.”
    “The brine doesn’t sit with you, eh?”
  13. crease
    become wrinkled or crumpled
    Mrs. Graham’s forehead creases, then the lightbulb goes on.
  14. fume
    be mad, angry, or furious
    Mitzy doesn’t think it’s one bit funny. Her cheeks are bright red, and this time it’s not because of the weather. It’s because she’s fuming.
  15. pudgy
    short and plump
    He’s holding up his too-big short pants with his pudgy little fists.
  16. relish
    derive or receive pleasure from
    I want to tell her how courageous she is, how I hate this every bit as much as she does, how I’ve relished getting to know her these past weeks.
  17. evident
    clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
    On pushing the rags aside, it became evident to him that the police must be alerted.
  18. reliance
    the confidence or trust felt by one who depends on something
    The police place great reliance upon Hutchinson’s description of the fiend, believing that it will enable them to run him down.
  19. clipped
    (of speech) having quick short sounds
    Her voice is tight, her words clipped.
  20. relent
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    “No, not enough,” Mrs. Kraskov relents. “But Duvid, he has topaz belonged to his mother.”
  21. keepsake
    something of sentimental value
    “It is what you call—oy, I have the word—keepsake. A keepsake.”
  22. resigned
    accepting that something unpleasant cannot be changed
    “I don’t want to go, but I have to.” Her voice is calm, resigned.
  23. meager
    deficient in amount or quality or extent
    In a whir, I take the Kraskovs to pawn off their belongings, and I help them pack up their meager lives.
  24. pelt
    cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile
    Duvid is scratching the side of his leg where the rock pelted him.
  25. at large
    having escaped, especially from confinement
    Mitzy’s family isn’t safe here in Whitechapel. Not with the Ripper at large and people blaming the Jews.
  26. glint
    be shiny, as if wet
    She’s breathing hard, and her face is on the green side, but otherwise she looks the way she’s supposed to, with her blue hair glinting off the sunlight and her wrist bangles shivering down her arm.
  27. ebb
    fall away or decline
    I watch her cry and cry, and it feels like another decade passes until her tears ebb.
  28. amnesia
    partial or total loss of memory
    Or wait, maybe she’s just having a little amnesia. Maybe she had a rough trip through the wormhole, or on the boat ride.
  29. churn
    be agitated
    “I remember the ship starting to move. I remember my stomach starting to churn.”
  30. weathered
    worn by exposure to the elements
    A motorcycle peels past, and I glance up at the driver, a guy in a weathered leather jacket and reflective shades, a guy who has cool written all over him.
  31. marquee
    a structure, often with a signboard, over an entrance
    The arts cinema down the block. The marquee says: TODAY’S MATINEE—THE LITTLE PRINCE.
  32. matinee
    a theatrical performance held during the daytime
    The arts cinema down the block. The marquee says: TODAY’S MATINEE—THE LITTLE PRINCE.
  33. falter
    speak haltingly
    “Y-yeah,” I falter.
  34. cue
    a stimulus that provides information about what to do
    This is my cue to step aside so she can beat a path away from me, so I do.
  35. mutual
    common to or shared by two or more parties
    No mutual secret. No shared memory. Tonight when I replay everything in my mind, the thoughts will be mine alone.
Created on Wed Jan 10 10:01:56 EST 2024 (updated Wed Jan 10 16:45:36 EST 2024)

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