Between Shades of Gray: Chapters 14-28

by Ruta Sepetys
During World War II, a Lithuanian girl named Lina is detained by Soviet soldiers and taken to a work camp in Siberia, where she must fight to survive.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1-13, Chapters 14-28, Chapters 29-44, Chapters 45-62, Chapter 63-Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cower
    show submission or fear
    How could we stand up for ourselves if everyone cowered in fear and refused to speak?
  2. desolate
    providing no shelter or sustenance
    The station looked eerie, desolate, frozen with only remnants of the chaos that had taken place.
  3. strew
    spread by scattering
    There were single shoes strewn about, a cane, a woman’s purse lying open, and an orphaned teddy bear.
  4. rite
    an established ceremony prescribed by a religion
    He was issuing last rites.
  5. formidable
    extremely impressive in strength or excellence
    He consulted a priest about the dream who told him that the iron wolf symbolized a large and formidable city, a city of opportunity.
  6. intermittent
    stopping and starting at irregular intervals
    Intermittent shots rang out in the distance.
  7. devise
    come up with after a mental effort
    While I devised a plan, the women in the car showed constant concern for the baby, who could not seem to nurse.
  8. expletive
    profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
    “Davai!” yelled the guard, along with a series of Russian expletives before he spit on me.
  9. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    I saw the wet green field. Come here, it beckoned. Run.
  10. scrawl
    write carelessly
    I scrawled the words 'pass along' under the drawing of the hands and I drew a Lithuanian coin.
  11. elated
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
    “They’re soldiers,” reported Mother, elated.
  12. morale
    a state of individual psychological well-being
    Morale soared. Andrius and Jonas shouted and whooped.
  13. prattle
    speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly
    He prattled on, grating, infuriating.
  14. timbre
    the distinctive property of a complex sound
    I heard only the timbre of his voice thumping in my ears.
  15. warp
    bend or twist out of shape
    I looked at Andrius, his face still warped with bruising.
  16. sickle
    an edge tool for cutting grass or crops
    Could we be trading Stalin’s sickle for something worse?
  17. pang
    a sudden sharp feeling
    Pangs of hunger came at relentless intervals.
  18. relentless
    never-ceasing
    Pangs of hunger came at relentless intervals.
  19. transpire
    come about, happen, or occur
    Mrs. Arvydas slept on the other side of the car, completely unaware of what had transpired.
  20. abyss
    a bottomless gulf or pit
    Just as I would swing into the abyss of hopelessness, the pendulum would swing back with some small goodness.
  21. kiosk
    small area set off by walls for special use
    One day, for example, just past Omsk, we stopped in the countryside. There was a small kiosk.
  22. substantial
    providing abundant nourishment
    “They didn’t have bread or anything substantial,” explained Mother as she divided the treasure amongst everyone.
  23. atrophy
    undergo weakening or degeneration as through lack of use
    “Our muscles have surely atrophied these past weeks.”
  24. sallow
    unhealthy looking
    His face had healed but was still sallow with remnants of yellow bruises.
  25. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    They had darker skin and black hair, and their general appearance was disheveled, primitive.
  26. discreet
    marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint
    I saw Mother cough into her hand and discreetly try to wipe off her lipstick.
  27. obscene
    offensive to the mind
    The man pointed at Mother once again and then made an obscene gesture.
  28. hardy
    having rugged physical strength
    “I have no choice but to stay with my mother. I’m surprised she made it this far,” said Andrius, looking over in her direction. Mrs. Arvydas was swatting flies away with her silk handkerchief and losing her balance in the process. “She’s not exactly hardy.”
  29. notch
    a geological formation that is lower than surrounding peaks
    The guards then loaded us into the back of two trucks and drove us across the valley beyond the notch in the hills where a road began.
  30. petrify
    cause to become stunned or immobile, as with fear or awe
    Jonas looked petrified, Andrius disgusted.
  31. disposition
    your usual mood
    Jonas looked much improved in appearance and disposition.
  32. torte
    rich cake usually covered with cream, fruit, or nuts
    “Oh, yes, a piece of black forest torte and a cognac or two,” laughed Mrs. Arvydas.
  33. decrepit
    worn and broken down by hard use
    Clusters of decrepit one-room cabins formed a shanty village.
  34. dingy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
    We were assigned to a dingy hut near the back of the settlement.
  35. feisty
    showing spirit and courage
    “She says feisty people make good workers and that we have to pay her rent.”
Created on Tue Mar 27 19:09:58 EDT 2018 (updated Thu Mar 29 13:31:28 EDT 2018)

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