I Will Always Write Back: Part 6–Epilogue

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 67 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. nominal
    insignificantly small; a matter of form only
    The pay was nominal but enough to cover my basic expenses.
  2. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    We'd head back Sunday night, dejected.
  3. resonate
    produce a deep, clear sound
    My mom's chipper voice resonated through our house.
  4. despondent
    without or almost without hope
    After she hung up, my mother looked despondent.
  5. impeccable
    without error or flaw
    When we spoke on the phone, her Shona was impeccable.
  6. destitute
    poor enough to need help from others
    Our daughter initially paid for Martin’s schooling fees with her babysitting money until his family became destitute from declining economic conditions.
  7. litany
    a prayer consisting of a series of invocations by the priest with responses from the congregation
    I grabbed his hands and closed my eyes and I made a litany of silent promises.
  8. primal
    having existed from the beginning
    The sounds that came from my belly were as primal and terrifying as the prophet's.
  9. demeanor
    the way a person behaves toward other people
    She got this demeanor from both parents, I thought.
  10. ecstatic
    feeling great rapture or delight
    I was still full from the Cinnabon—and too ecstatic to eat.
  11. exploit
    draw from; make good use of
    It has always been my dream to go to college. It will give me a platform to exploit my potential and get some help to my family and friends in Zimbabwe.
  12. insular
    narrowly restricted in outlook or scope
    I wanted to reach out beyond my small, insular world of Hatfield to see what life was like for other kids in faraway places.
  13. daunting
    discouraging through fear
    We had other requests for interviews—on radio and TV as well as a book party in Manhattan to look forward to. It was all so exciting—and daunting, too.
  14. concur
    be in agreement
    “Only good things can come from this,” Martin assured me.
    “It’s why we decided to do it,” I concurred. “If we can inspire just one person to do something kind, we will have done enough.”
  15. feign
    make believe with the intent to deceive
    I could feign food poisoning, anything to get out of the embarrassment of what I was about to face.
Created on Sat Aug 11 20:59:50 EDT 2018 (updated Thu Jun 26 13:34:19 EDT 2025)

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