I Will Always Write Back: Part 3

by Caitlin Alifirenka, Martin Ganda
In 1997, an American girl and a Zimbabwean boy became pen pals, ultimately developing a friendship that would change both of their lives. In this memoir, they tell their story.

Here are links to our lists for the memoir: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Parts 4–5, Part 6–Epilogue
15 words 230 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. lenient
    inclined to be permissive or indulgent
    The headmaster read through Caitlin's letter before agreeing to a month-long grace period: Things had gotten so bad that even the schools had to be lenient.
  2. preposterous
    inviting ridicule
    As I sat down in front of this modern-looking machine, I realized the enormity of what I was about to do: Asking my best friend to pay for my schooling seemed preposterous.
  3. subside
    wear off or die down
    Those tests came back negative, thankfully, but the pain never subsided.
  4. interject
    insert between other elements
    “And this is why you have been babysitting instead of going out with your friends on weekend nights?" Mom interjected.
  5. adamant
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
    In my fourteen years, I had never been this adamant about anything.
  6. impoverished
    destroyed financially
    “Mail in impoverished countries is often opened by postal workers,” my mom explained.
  7. volatile
    liable to lead to sudden change or violence
    Solange explained that the political situation in Zimbabwe was so volatile it made sending anything there of value a real crap shoot.
  8. covet
    wish, long, or crave for
    That year, I got a 24-karat-gold necklace that said Caitlin in script and a Tommy Hilfiger denim jacket I had been coveting.
  9. ruse
    a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture
    Once again, we said it was a gift from the uncle I had visited in Harare. Everyone knew I had spent the past August there. It was an easy ruse.
  10. reiterate
    say, state, or perform again
    I reiterated that without her, we would be homeless: If we don't pay rent on time, we are chased out and another family enters.
  11. dissipate
    cause to separate and go in different directions
    All the stress and worry that had built up inside me dissipated.
  12. lieu
    the post or function properly occupied or served by another
    We should like to keep Martin out of the process and only inform him that his tuition is paid and up to date. This is in lieu of sending funds to him.
  13. deplorable
    of very poor quality or condition
    Life in the community as you know is deplorable but your efforts are reducing the problems.
  14. preemptive
    designed to prevent an anticipated situation or occurrence
    I knew I couldn't ignore her all night, so I decided to do a preemptive strike.
  15. candid
    informal or natural
    I included some candid shots from Christmas, including a photo of my new car, and one of me with Lois.
Created on Fri Aug 10 22:07:21 EDT 2018 (updated Thu Jun 26 13:27:34 EDT 2025)

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