A Wish in the Dark: Chapters 1–12

by Christina Soontornvat
In this fantasy novel inspired by both Les Misérables and Thai culture, Pong escapes from prison and must evade the warden's daughter.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–12, Chapters 13–25, Chapters 26–36, Chapters 37–49
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. resign
    accept as inevitable
    He looked at the women prisoners. They stared back at him with flat, resigned eyes.
  2. orb
    an object with a spherical shape
    A single orb of glass swung from the mango tree overhead.
  3. barge
    a flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads
    The Governor's barge glided toward the prison dock, its teak paneling gleaming in the sunlight.
  4. prow
    the front part of a vessel
    Swags of white flowers swished from the prow.
  5. sheen
    the visual property of something that shines
    Nok glimpsed the sheen of the Governor's robes, and then her mother snapped her fingers again.
  6. sage
    a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics
    Wise old sages traveled down from the mountains to share their wisdom, heal the sick, and grant wishes.
  7. pavilion
    a large and often sumptuous tent
    The cooks carried big steaming pots out of the kitchen to the tables under the pavilion.
  8. mortified
    made to feel uncomfortable because of shame or wounded pride
    Even her father looked mortified. With a flush of embarrassment, she realized she was supposed to be greeting the Governor at that very moment.
  9. chide
    scold or reprimand severely or angrily
    “Tut-tut," the Governor chided. “Now is not the time for flattery. It is the time for truth. Tell me. Did you hurt this girl, yes or no?”
  10. convey
    serve as a means for expressing something
    But, please, Your Grace, allow us to convey our gratitude to you with a song we have prepared in your honor.
  11. wayward
    resistant to guidance or discipline
    All eyes were on the Governor, who bent down to whisper some last comforting words to the wayward boy before turning to watch the prisoners' performance.
  12. scuffle
    fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters
    No more scuffling with older girls, no more arguments with guards. Pong had become quiet.
  13. raspy
    unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
    Pong's ears tuned to the raspy sound. Somkit had trouble breathing. Running or doing anything active could make him collapse into a fit of coughing.
  14. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
    Pong's nervous stomach writhed like a bowl of eels.
  15. confinement
    the state of being enclosed
    Please don’t put me into solitary confinement. Being inside a basket of durian is punishment enough.
  16. haggle
    wrangle, as over a price or terms of an agreement
    He could hear customers shouting orders, people haggling over prices, babies wailing for their mothers.
  17. gangway
    a temporary bridge for getting on and off a ship or boat
    Chattana was a city built on water, with canals serving the place of roads. People got around by boat or used the crowded gangways and bridges that crossed the canals.
  18. impenetrable
    not admitting of passage into or through
    In truth, Pong had drifted only a few miles south of Chattana, but to him it seemed as if he'd entered an impenetrable wilderness.
  19. sheer
    very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front
    All morning he had been drawing closer and closer to a cluster of small mountains—lumpy and green at the top, with sheer gray sides where the rock was too steep for the jungle to cling to.
  20. incense
    a substance that produces a fragrant odor when burned
    Pong caught the scent of incense cutting through the glorious pork smell.
  21. saffron
    a shade of yellow tinged with orange
    But then he spotted a group of monks walking toward them, holding their saffron-colored robes gathered in the crooks of their arms.
  22. outlandish
    noticeably or extremely unconventional or unusual
    Father Cham listened quietly, nodding, as lie after lie tumbled forth. At no point did he stop Pong, even when the lies turned wild and outlandish.
  23. lacquer
    coat with varnish
    Father Cham reached for a small lacquered set of drawers.
  24. sheepishly
    in a manner showing embarrassment or shame
    “You say you are meeting your mother at the sea?" Father Cham asked.
    Pong nodded sheepishly, wondering if the monk suspected that he’d made that up.
  25. frayed
    worn away or tattered along the edges
    He kept Pong's bracelet supply up, always replacing the frayed ones just before they snapped.
  26. bestow
    give as a gift
    Why else would he bestow so many blessings on one quiet, ordinary boy?
  27. kinship
    a close connection marked by common interests or character
    At Wat Singh, he had the kinship of other monks, who called him Brother.
  28. thrive
    make steady progress
    Even so, Pong grew and thrived at Wat Singh.
  29. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
    The most vulnerable among us always deserve the greatest blessings, don’t you agree?
  30. bewildered
    extremely confused and uncertain what to do
    Pong stood bewildered. He looked at the headmistress. She blinked a few times but didn't seem to have noticed anything out of the ordinary.
  31. falter
    move hesitatingly, as if about to give way
    Father Cham leaned against his walking stick with a groan. He faltered and nearly slumped to the floor.
  32. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    Her hair was still chopped straight across her shoulders, and she wore the same wary, serious gaze.
  33. commission
    a special group delegated to consider some matter
    The family was in Tanaburi because someone from the Commission on Law and Light Regulation had finally noticed that no one in the village had ever bought an orb.
  34. wheedle
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    So Nok's mother wheedled and cut deals with her society friends, and by a sheer miracle, she landed Nok's father an even better gig: Chief Law Commissioner.
  35. pallet
    a mattress filled with straw or a pad made of quilts
    She knelt on her pallet in the darkness and clasped her hands together on her knees.
Created on Thu Dec 17 16:00:28 EST 2020 (updated Mon Jan 04 12:31:01 EST 2021)

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