Found: Chapters 8–12
Thirty-six young people — all adopted — are brought together for the first time to learn the truth of their origins, which is more about when than where. Three of the children — Jonah, his sister, and a new friend, Chip — are among this unique group trying to make sense of their new reality that began in the distant past, is altered by time travel, has wiped out the present, and is heading toward an uncertain future.
Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–12, Chapters 13–21, Chapters 22–29, Chapters 30–33
15 words
16 learners
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Full list of words from this list:
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last resort
something done or used only when nothing else works“Maybe you should just tell them the truth,” Chip had suggested, as a last resort, in desperation.
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entitled
qualified for by right according to law"I wanted to meet with you to assure you that we aren’t trying to hide any information that you’re entitled to."
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incredulously
in a disbelieving manner“Our son’s background is a matter of national security?” Mom asked incredulously.
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hypothetical
a conjectural possibility or circumstance“Let me give you a hypothetical,” Mr. Reardon said.
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reputable
held in high esteem and honor“Jonah was adopted through a reputable adoption agency—we had no contact with any smuggling rings!”
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extradite
hand over to the authorities of another countryIt’s a big mess for all the governments involved, all the government agencies involved. Do you extradite the smugglers? Do you deport the babies?
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last straw
an annoyance that stretches your patience beyond its limitJonah’s stomach was still churning, his head still spinning. But Katherine’s gasp was the last straw.
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DNA
material that carries genetic information in a cellHe’d always known his DNA came from strangers; did it really matter if they were strangers from Bangladesh or Ethiopia or China instead of Kansas or Kentucky or Maine?
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publicize
call attention to“I don’t quite understand the need for all this secrecy. Don’t law enforcement agencies usually want to publicize big arrests? Aren’t smuggling busts public information?”
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quandary
state of uncertainty in a choice between unfavorable options“Not always,” Mr. Reardon said. “Many times we have strong reasons to keep something like this secret. And I can’t tell you the reasons without giving away the secrets. Quite a quandary, isn’t it?”
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repercussion
a remote or indirect consequence of some action"You could do those things,” Mr. Reardon agreed, “but you might want to consider your actions very, very carefully. Sometimes there are . . . repercussions."
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discrepancy
a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions"I think your son’s documentation is in order, but perhaps if we were forced to revisit his case, we might discover some unfortunate discrepancies..."
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catchphrase
an expression that has become memorable through popular usageGetting off on the wrong foot was a Mom catchphrase—that was what she’d said about Jonah and Billy Barton in second grade, when Jonah came home with a black eye.
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surreptitiously
in a secretive mannerIn fact—Jonah started watching Mr. Reardon now—Mr. Reardon kept glancing at the file surreptitiously, every few seconds.
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infinitesimal
immeasurably smallThe phone’s screen was so tiny, it was hard to read anything. But Jonah could make out one line, a title at the top of an infinitesimally small list.
Created on Mon Nov 10 21:44:31 EST 2025
(updated Tue Dec 23 16:10:29 EST 2025)
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