Safiyyah's War: Chapters 1–8

by Hiba Noor Khan
This novel is based on the true history of the Grand Mosque of Paris. It follows Safiyyah, a young Muslim girl from Paris, as the Nazi occupation during WWII changes her community forever.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-8, Chapters 9-15, Chapters 16-20, Chapters 21-29, Chapters 30-37
15 words 29 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. laden
    filled with a great quantity
    She dodged people chatting outside cafés, eating macarons and sipping coffee, shop carts laden with plump tomatoes and a hundred types of cheese.
  2. invocation
    a prayer asking God's help as part of a religious service
    Safiyyah closed her eyes too, the whispers of Setti’s invocations blending with the fountain’s gurgling, and she felt suddenly exhausted, as if she could have lain down and slept right there.
  3. ratio
    the relative magnitudes of two quantities
    Setti claimed to be able to tell where the orange had been grown by tasting it, always ready with a commentary on the balance of tang with sweet, the ratio of acid and sugar.
  4. peruse
    examine or consider with attention and in detail
    They could eat and drink to their heart’s content in the courtyard, relax in the lush gardens, peruse the mosque shop or little library and even see a doctor there!
  5. spacious
    having ample room
    His spacious hallway was framed with tall palms, their long fronds fanning through the air, while feathery ferns spilled over the edges of their pots on the floor.
  6. flank
    be located at the sides of something or somebody
    Baba said he’d be back in a few hours and said goodbye at the milky smooth columns flanking the entryway.
  7. chignon
    a roll of hair worn at the nape of the neck
    Today though, Isabelle’s mother was in a dressing gown, her hair falling limply around her shoulders instead of immaculately swept up into her signature chignon style.
  8. engrossed
    giving or marked by complete attention to
    It had taken her a full fifteen minutes to even notice they’d been gone, she must have been utterly engrossed in her book.
  9. traipse
    walk or tramp about
    Safiyyah opened the door and traipsed down the stairs towards the lobby.
  10. resolute
    firm in purpose or belief
    Baba looked resolute.
  11. coiffure
    the arrangement of the hair
    She bumped into Madame Odette beside the fiction section, the top of her coiffure just visible over the pile of hardback books she was carrying.
  12. riveting
    capable of arousing and holding the attention
    ‘Soldiers have requested their preferences, you see. Some want a good mystery, while others want a riveting adventure, or maybe even some romance.
  13. balmy
    mild and pleasant
    Normally, this was Safiyyah’s favorite time of the year: hot days with vast blue skies and long balmy evenings.
  14. spire
    a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building
    The sky was a brilliant blue, crisp and clear, interrupted only by the silhouettes of rooftops and spires stretching up ahead.
  15. frivolous
    not serious in content, attitude, or behavior
    The lunchtime laughter and frivolous conversation that had echoed through squares and floated from café tables earlier on had vanished.
Created on Wed Oct 22 08:43:52 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Dec 23 11:21:31 EST 2025)

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