Furia: Chapter 24–Epilogue

by Yamile Saied Méndez
An Argentinian teenager keeps her success as a soccer player — and her dreams of attending college in North America — a secret from her family.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–14, Chapters 15–23, Chapter 24–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ominously
    in a manner suggesting something bad will happen
    But my father was the one who headed to his room, slamming the door behind him, the lock turning ominously.
  2. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    I was happy for my brother and proud of him, but part of me seethed. Now that he was about to have his own family to take care of, he’d left me behind.
  3. affliction
    a condition of suffering or distress due to ill health
    By the time I made it to Doctor Gaudio, the master healer of torn muscles and other athletic afflictions, a week after my injury, my leg was almost back to normal.
  4. abrasive
    sharply disagreeable, unpleasant, or harsh
    “What’s going on?” After visiting Miriam, I could see why my mother found him abrasive.
  5. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    Sonia observed from the corner of the room with a somber expression on her face.
  6. gangly
    tall, thin, and awkward
    We were facing a team of boys a little younger than us, but they looked like baby giants. Gangly, pimply-faced giants.
  7. consistently
    in a systematic or steady manner
    “Good job, Roxana!” she shouted, and in a softer voice, she told Luciano, “She’s the only one improving consistently.”
  8. flounder
    have difficulties; behave awkwardly
    Luciano sent me an accusing look, like it was my fault the whole team was floundering.
  9. sentimentality
    the quality of being falsely emotional in a maudlin way
    Coach Alicia wasn’t one for sentimentalities, but she patted my shoulder and said, “In your world, Furia, one mistake can be fatal. Keep your goal in sight. Keep your priorities straight, and it will all be worth it. I promise.”
  10. incorrigible
    impervious to correction by punishment
    El Buen Pastor, once a prison for incorrigible daughters, was now the only place where I felt welcome.
  11. dappled
    having spots or patches of color
    A group of kids played fútbol in the dappled sunshine of the inner courtyard.
  12. enrapture
    hold spellbound
    Their enraptured faces turned to Karen as if she were the sun, the light in her voice germinating the seeds Alma’s words planted. I tried not to make a sound. I didn’t want to break the spell.
  13. germinate
    cause to grow or sprout
    Their enraptured faces turned to Karen as if she were the sun, the light in her voice germinating the seeds Alma’s words planted.
  14. revelation
    an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
    “But I have my own dreams, too. I play on my own fútbol team. I want to play professionally one day.”
    Her eyes widened at the revelation.
  15. aback
    by surprise
    The question took me aback, but I was glad she’d asked.
  16. abandon
    a feeling of extreme emotional intensity
    “Joy. Fun. Abandon. You’re playing with too many voices in your head. Remember, you get in your head...”
  17. snub
    reject outright and bluntly
    If he said nothing compared to playing in Italy (and how could it?), the Central Scoundrels would never forgive him, but he couldn’t snub his adoring tifosi.
  18. chastise
    scold or criticize severely
    The reporter must have felt chastised, too, because he changed the subject.
  19. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    She didn’t reply, so gingerly, I turned her doorknob and walked in.
  20. cynical
    believing the worst of human nature and motives
    But even though I didn’t want to let the cynical voice in my mind win, it was hard to imagine that Eda would be the last one.
  21. omission
    leaving out or passing over something
    Pablo might not have been an active liar, but he knew to stay quiet when he didn’t have the advantage. Lying by omission was lying, too.
  22. patriarchy
    a form of social organization in which men hold power
    “I can’t believe they named only you and Diego in an article about a team of girls. The patriarchy! It burns,” I said, laughing to dispel the toxic cloud around us.
  23. livid
    furiously angry
    But when I looked up, I saw that Pablo was livid.
  24. whim
    a sudden desire
    On a whim, I turned the TV to The Bachelor, indulging in a mindless game of love, yelling at girls making stupid decisions.
  25. apparition
    a ghostly appearing figure
    My body went cold, as if I’d seen an apparition, but I blinked and fell into his arms.
  26. convocation
    a group gathered in response to a summons
    “There’s going to be a new national women’s team convocation. There’s a World Cup in two years, and I...I want to try.”
  27. shambles
    a condition of great disorder
    My life was in shambles.
  28. testament
    strong evidence for something
    It was a testament to her unconditional love that she let me be.
  29. incentive
    a positive motivational influence
    Before the ref called the teams in, a little girl ran along our lineup, handing out black mourning bands. “For Eda.” They gave us the incentive we needed to vanquish our fears.
  30. disarray
    untidiness, especially of clothing and appearance
    Tacna took control of the game, and we ran in every direction, our lines in disarray.
  31. speculate
    talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way
    All the way to the field, we speculated on possible results, which was the most useless way to pass the time.
  32. plod
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    The whistle blew, and we plodded to Coach’s side, eyes downcast in humiliation.
  33. ecstasy
    a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
    I screamed so loud it left my throat sore. When the other team kicked off, I was still flushed with ecstasy.
  34. lament
    express grief verbally
    All around me, brokenhearted teammates lamented our lost chance.
  35. unorthodox
    breaking with tradition or typical norms
    I fight for every ball, and although I don’t always win, no one can say I hold back. I leave my soul on the pitch. I relish what my body can do, appreciate its unorthodox beauty.
Created on Wed Dec 09 09:18:21 EST 2020 (updated Wed Dec 16 13:48:06 EST 2020)

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