The Pecan Sheller: Chapters 14–18

by Lupe Ruiz-Flores
Her family's financial woes in late 1930s San Antonio, Texas, force 13-year-old Petra to drop out of school and take a job shelling pecans at a factory. Her future seems bleak until she and her coworkers organize and go on strike for better wages and work conditions.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–18, Chapters 19–30
15 words 7 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ashen
    pale from illness or emotion
    Amá was in there for only a short time, but when she came out, her face was ashen.
  2. dwindling
    gradually decreasing until little remains
    She tried not to think of the dwindling food in the pantry.
  3. searing
    intense or sharp
    She picked herself up and felt a searing pain in her ankle.
  4. misshapen
    so badly formed or distorted as to be ugly
    Her ankle was not healing. In fact, it was so swollen that it looked misshapen.
  5. contempt
    open disrespect for a person or thing
    With a scathing look of contempt, Petra left his office.
  6. impeccable
    without error or flaw
    By the end of the week, Amá had some customers: the insurance man who needed his white shirts washed, starched, and ironed; the young pharmacy worker who wanted her uniforms laundered; the widow who kept an impeccable house and expected her embroidered pillowcases and doilies to be ironed perfectly.
  7. meager
    deficient in amount or quality or extent
    “Things aren’t getting any better,” Petra said flatly a few weeks later over a meager supper of beans. In fact, things seemed to be getting worse.
  8. tranquil
    free from disturbance by heavy waves
    When she slept, she dreamed that her tranquil Chihuahua Creek had suddenly turned into a monstrous raging river, sweeping away everything in its path.
  9. self-conscious
    excessively aware of your appearance or behavior
    It seemed to Petra like the entire barrio was there. That made her feel less self-conscious.
  10. raspy
    unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
    Another raspy cough racked Ofelia’s body. She held the handkerchief to her mouth to suppress it.
  11. suppress
    control and refrain from showing
    Another raspy cough racked Ofelia’s body. She held the handkerchief to her mouth to suppress it.
  12. haggard
    showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
    The creases on her forehead and the haggard look on her face stood out.
  13. aback
    by surprise
    Petra was taken aback at how much the toddler looked like Ofelia.
  14. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    Petra sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. “Hello, Ofelia. It’s me, Petra.”
  15. depiction
    representation by drawing, painting, etc.
    The coffin rested in the main aisle close to the altar, its lid open. Petra glanced at the Stations of the Cross, the depictions of biblical scenes lining the stucco walls of the church.
Created on Wed Mar 18 20:38:13 EDT 2026 (updated Tue May 12 12:25:12 EDT 2026)

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