American Spirits: Chapters 20–26

by Barb Rosenstock
This nonfiction book tells the story of Maggie, Kate, and Leah Fox, three sisters living in Civil War America who became famous for Maggie and Kate's claims of being spiritual mediums.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Prologue-Chapter 6, Chapters 7-12, Chapters 13-19, Chapters 20-26, Chapter 27-Author's Note
15 words 16 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. erratic
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
    But the erratic Arctic temperatures plunged again to more than – 50°F.
  2. coherent
    capable of thinking in a clear and consistent manner
    Three of the crew members returned barely coherent; the other four were unable to move, stranded miles away from the ship.
  3. debunk
    expose while ridiculing
    Even if the crew’s discovery had turned out to be true (future expeditions would debunk the existence of an open polar sea) the open water was too far away; the Advance remained stuck fast.
  4. eminent
    standing above others in quality or position
    They had no intention of allowing a spirit rapper to join their eminent family, not now, not ever.
  5. quail
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    The media had created Dr. Kane, a larger-than-life character with, “a daring that never quailed, endurance that knew no yielding, a devotion to duty that nothing could shake …”
  6. credible
    appearing to merit belief or acceptance
    Maggie was “bright” and “beautiful,” but the story of marriage to the upper-class Dr. Kane was obviously “foolish,” unless it was credible.
  7. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
    Maggie’s “preacher” promised and promised, never once understanding why the Fox women had grown skeptical.
  8. notoriety
    the state of being known for some unfavorable act or quality
    Maggie’s notoriety had first brought them together. Elisha’s celebrity had kept them apart.
  9. mausoleum
    a large burial chamber, usually above ground
    Elisha was buried on March 14, 1857, in the Kane family mausoleum, next to his little brother Willie.
  10. plummet
    drop sharply
    Maggie’s weight plummeted. The long, shining hair that Elisha had loved was now dull and shorn.
  11. bequest
    a gift of personal property by will
    Though Maggie’s name wasn’t mentioned, Elisha’s will did list a separate, mysterious bequest of five thousand dollars (over $150,000 today) entrusted to his brother, Robert Kane.
  12. dumbfounded
    as if rendered speechless with astonishment and surprise
    These explanations left Harvard’s science professors dumbfounded.
  13. pittance
    an inadequate payment
    She survived on the pittance the Kane family paid to keep her quiet, probably with extra support from family and old friends.
  14. divulge
    make known to the public information previously kept secret
    The alleged secrets of mediumship were divulged in booklets, often written by working magicians.
  15. ethereal
    characterized by lightness and insubstantiality
    Charles made out a delicate hand holding an ethereal fabric veil across its face.
Created on Fri Jan 16 04:26:00 EST 2026 (updated Tue Jan 20 17:40:12 EST 2026)

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