The Rock and the River: Chapters 1–2

by Kekla Magoon
Growing up in Chicago in the 1960s, Sam is a witness to both racism and the growing Civil Rights Movement. But when his father and brother embrace conflicting tactics for confronting prejudice and violence in their community, Sam must figure out where his loyalties lie.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–6, Chapters 7–11, Chapters 12–21

Here are links to our lists for other books by Kekla Magoon: The Season of Styx Malone, X: A Novel
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. throng
    a large gathering of people
    He stood up at the front of the throng, feeding the crowd with his words.
  2. podium
    a platform raised above the surrounding level
    The podium shook under the pounding of his fist.
  3. fervor
    the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up
    Mama stood behind him, where she always stood, hands folded, lashes low, her stillness a mirror for his fervor.
  4. loom
    appear very large or occupy a commanding position
    Above us, the Chicago skyline loomed against gray clouds.
  5. lurch
    move suddenly or as if unable to control one's movements
    The crowd lurched forward. "That’s right!” they yelled, in answer to something Father said.
  6. uncanny
    surpassing the ordinary or normal
    He had this uncanny sixth sense—he always knew when we disobeyed him.
  7. intone
    speak carefully, as with rising and falling pitch
    "We will walk hand in hand,” Father’s voice intoned above the fray.
  8. fray
    a noisy fight
    "We will walk hand in hand,” Father’s voice intoned above the fray.
  9. bustle
    a rapid active commotion
    The doors slid open for us, and the steady bustle of the city streets gave way to the squeak of gurney wheels and the impatient chattering of waiting people.
  10. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
    “A few blocks from here?” she asked, her tone skeptical.
  11. nonviolence
    peaceful resistance to a government
    “No.” Father turned from the window. "When I went to work with Martin, I took an oath of nonviolence. I’ve upheld it to this day, and I expect you to do the same. No excuses. Is that understood?”
  12. uphold
    stand up for; stick up for; of causes, principles, or ideals
    “No.” Father turned from the window. "When I went to work with Martin, I took an oath of nonviolence. I’ve upheld it to this day, and I expect you to do the same. No excuses. Is that understood?”
  13. sermon
    an address of a religious nature
    He could have been a preacher—his eyes were like a sermon in and of themselves.
  14. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    Two dollar bills and some coins dropped onto the floor as he pried open my fingers.
  15. stoic
    seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
    “All right, now, get your sticky fingers out of my shop, you little”—he called me a couple of names that would have had Stick tossing fists, or made Father turn cool and stoic as he walked away—“Get out before I call the police.”
  16. blunt
    having a broad or rounded end
    Behind my closed eyes, the gift shop man’s blunt fingers pointed, accusing me of being black.
  17. backfire
    return with an undesired effect
    Our plan to come home early had backfired completely.
  18. annex
    an addition that extends a main building
    I cradled the blocks in my left arm, picking up one at a time to place it. One, at the base by the main entrance annex. Two, at eye level, completing the royal arch. Three, right at the corner by the bed, sticking off like a gargoyle.
  19. gargoyle
    an ornament consisting of a grotesquely carved figure
    I cradled the blocks in my left arm, picking up one at a time to place it. One, at the base by the main entrance annex. Two, at eye level, completing the royal arch. Three, right at the corner by the bed, sticking off like a gargoyle.
  20. sheer
    complete and without restriction
    I used to build for fun, for the sheer pleasure of crafting a miniature warehouse, office, palace, stable, restaurant out of rubble.
  21. apex
    the highest point of something
    As I reached above my head to set a block near the apex, I had to take such care not to knock any walls over that there wasn’t room for anything else in my head, no space to even breathe.
  22. elaborate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
    Stick and I used to lie on our beds after lights-out and play the game together, making up elaborate lives and characters, before we got too old to make-believe.
  23. apparently
    seemingly; as far as one can tell
    Apparently he wasn’t in the mood.
  24. trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    “Yeah, right.” I dragged myself up and trudged toward the door.
  25. pulpit
    a platform raised to give prominence to the person on it
    The choir filed into their two special rows behind the pulpit, gold robes rustling reverently against the dark wood pews.
  26. reverent
    showing great respect for god
    The choir filed into their two special rows behind the pulpit, gold robes rustling reverently against the dark wood pews.
  27. lament
    regret strongly
    I lamented for the hundredth time the impossibility of creating stained-glass windows with blocks.
  28. vain
    unproductive of success
    Some times I feel discouraged,
    And think my work’s in vain,
    But then the Holy Spirit
    revives my soul again.
  29. fellowship
    an association of people who share beliefs or activities
    It was a miracle Stick and I survived the fellowship hour.
  30. suspend
    render temporarily ineffective
    All of us fell into a state of suspended anticipation, a slow-motion moment.
  31. sash
    a sliding framework that holds the panes in a window
    Stick’s friend, Bucky Willis, waved from outside, motioning for us to open the window. His breath fogged the glass. Stick leaned over and popped the lock, lifting the sash.
  32. unison
    the act of occurring together or simultaneously
    "Shhh!” Stick and I exclaimed in unison, creating a sound altogether louder than Bucky’s entrance had been.
  33. assume
    take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect
    "Get in the closet. In the closet—now,” he whispered. Bucky did, easing the door shut behind him as Stick and I assumed studious postures on our beds.
  34. bluff
    deceive someone about your strength or intentions
    My inability to bluff had cost us smaller battles than this one.
  35. contrite
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
    "I, uh, threw a book at Sam,” Stick said, sounding appropriately guilty but contrite.
  36. suppress
    control and refrain from showing
    I lowered my head again, suppressing the urge to tell Father that it was only Bucky.
  37. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    “Sending me out into the cold,” Bucky said with a sniff. "I understand. I do.” He conjured up his best, most pathetic wounded-animal eyes.
  38. pastime
    an interest or pursuit that someone pursues regularly
    Reading was Bucky's least favorite pastime, mainly because he wasn't all that good at it.
  39. contemplate
    reflect deeply on a subject
    “Dr. King is in our living room, and you want to sit here contemplating armed revolution? I don’t think so.”
  40. discreet
    marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint
    Bucky was a lot of things, but discreet was not one of them.
Created on Wed Apr 24 11:46:56 EDT 2019 (updated Thu Apr 25 08:30:31 EDT 2019)

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