Homeless Bird: Chapters 9–11

by Gloria Whelan
Growing up in a traditional Indian village, Koly expects to enter into an arranged marriage at a young age. But Koly's husband and his family are not what they seemed, and she must forge a new path to independence.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapter 1, Chapters 2–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–8, Chapters 9–11
35 words 55 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. dwindle
    become smaller or lose substance
    There were children there, but she was not among them. I could not put her hungry stare out of my head, and my happiness dwindled a little.
  2. pacify
    ease the anger, agitation, or strong emotion of
    The girls at Maa Kamala’s were envious of our work. To pacify them, we let them try on the finished bangles.
  3. tiresome
    so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
    Unlike my embroidery, which came from my head and heart, the threading of tiny glass beads grew tiresome.
  4. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    Raji kicked at the dust and glowered at me.
  5. tousle
    disarrange or rumple; dishevel
    His tousled hair fell over his forehead, and sometimes, when the lesson was too long and Raji was too tired, his long lashes would flutter as he tried to keep from falling asleep.
  6. commotion
    a disorderly outburst or tumult
    The commotion startled a heron hunting frogs along the edge of the river.
  7. admonish
    warn strongly; put on guard
    Maa Kamala fried pumpkin pooris and made shikanji with sweetened lime juice and ginger juice and sent us out to the bazaar at the last minute to get ice cubes in a little plastic sack, admonishing us to hurry so the ice would not melt.
  8. presentable
    fit to be seen
    Just before the rich lady arrived, Maa Kamala lined us all up to see if we were presentable.
  9. unadorned
    not decorated with something to increase its beauty
    Our visitor was an older woman with a shapeless figure and unadorned clothes, but as she stopped to greet each of us, she had some small pleasant thing to say.
  10. dismay
    the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
    To my dismay Maa Kamala called out, “Koly, Tanu, show Madam through the rooms.”
  11. gaudy
    tastelessly showy
    Some of the rooms were brightened with artificial flowers, and gaudy scarves hung on the walls.
  12. frantically
    in an uncontrolled manner
    As we walked into the room, Tanu and I looked frantically about for any disorder.
  13. proprietor
    someone who owns a business
    A small sign with the proprietor’s name, Mr. Das, was in a corner of the window.
  14. sleek
    well-groomed and neatly tailored
    He was sleek, with sharp black eyes and little ears.
  15. expectant
    marked by eager anticipation
    He greeted Mrs. Devi with a happy, expectant smile.
  16. resolve
    reach a decision
    By the time he had turned back to me, I had resolved to hold my tongue.
  17. critical
    characterized by careful evaluation and judgment
    In the workshop scarfs and cushions as well as saris were embroidered. One woman kept a critical eye on my work and the work of the others.
  18. outlandish
    noticeably or extremely unconventional or unusual
    The Shrew shook her head over my work. “Who will buy such a sari? Women want what they are used to, not some outlandish thing.”
  19. deftly
    in an agile manner
    The embroidery had been done by the Shrew. Though her words were harsh, her stitches were deftly done.
  20. taper
    diminish gradually
    Her long, tapered fingers with their bright-red nails pulled the threads in and out, stitching designs so intricate and clever, they took my breath away.
  21. intricate
    having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate
    Her long, tapered fingers with their bright-red nails pulled the threads in and out, stitching designs so intricate and clever, they took my breath away.
  22. tardiness
    the quality or habit of not adhering to an expected time
    When Mr. Das scolded Mala for her tardiness, Mala only laughed.
  23. taunt
    harass with persistent criticism or carping
    “Don’t lecture me, Mr. Das,” she would say in a taunting voice.
  24. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    When I asked permission of Maa Kamala, she was indignant. “I know all about Mala. Her room is no place for a young girl. Certainly you cannot spend the night there.”
  25. kameez
    a long tunic worn by people from South Asia
    Most of the women were older than Mala; at least with their sophisticated hairdos and makeup they looked older. A few of them wore jeans and T-shirts instead of saris or salwars and kameezes.
  26. malicious
    having the nature of threatening evil
    I saw that he was no house cat to be tamed, but a malicious cat, even a dangerous one.
  27. naive
    marked by or showing unaffected simplicity
    “That animal, Kajal, was playing a trick on you. The lassi was laced with bhang. You’re lucky I was there. The sooner I hand you over to your friend, the better. I’m not a nursemaid to take care of every naive village girl.”
  28. treacherous
    dangerously unstable and unpredictable
    When I had first come, the city had been unwelcoming, even treacherous, but now I had found my place in it.
  29. shabby
    showing signs of wear and tear
    We settled on a patch of grass, and taking off our sandals, we swung our feet into the brown water. Behind us the deserted temple looked shabby.
  30. gloomy
    depressingly dark
    In the gloominess I could not help remembering my evening at Mala’s apartment and wondering what Raji would think of me if he knew of it.
  31. fertile
    marked by great fruitfulness
    A man from the government is showing me how to make my land more fertile. Already the wheat I planted has pushed up.
  32. chide
    scold or reprimand severely or angrily
    You are women now and must make room for other widows here,” she gently chided us. “Only don’t forget us.” There were tears in her eyes as well.
  33. suffocate
    die from lack of oxygen
    If I took my eyes from them, the walls of our room crept closer and closer to me until I thought I would suffocate.
  34. corrugated
    shaped into alternating parallel grooves and ridges
    I could go up onto the roof, but the corrugated tin burned my feet.
  35. sheer
    so thin as to transmit light
    Even the sheerest muslin lay hot and heavy on our laps.
Created on Thu Jul 11 21:12:10 EDT 2019 (updated Fri Sep 13 14:00:38 EDT 2019)

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