All the Days Past, All the Days to Come: List 2

by Mildred D. Taylor
In the final book of the Logan Family Saga, Cassie Logan, now a young woman, overcomes prejudice and heartbreak as she tries to find her place in the world.

This list covers "Going South"–"Cassie's Love Story, Chapter I."

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
40 words 37 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    We were wary if they stared too long, if they pointed toward us, if they appeared ready to approach us.
  2. grits
    coarsely ground corn that is boiled
    As tired as we were, we enjoyed the smoked ham, the grits and biscuits and eggs, as well as molasses, everything washed down with the cows’ morning milk.
  3. ward
    block forming a division of a hospital shared by patients
    Mama was hospitalized in a big room, a ward, with several other patients.
  4. laden
    filled with a great quantity
    The room was small but the table had always been full, laden with Big Ma’s good cooking.
  5. clabber
    raw milk that has soured and thickened
    “So, how long y’all plannin’ on stayin’?” asked Little Willie after gulping down his clabbered milk.
  6. fallow
    left unplowed and unseeded during a growing season
    To the east of the lawn was the land where the cotton had grown, land fallow now in the days before spring.
  7. prevail
    be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance
    The once-owner of the land, Harlan Granger, was now dead, but the Granger family still prevailed and many in our Great Faith community still sharecropped on Granger land.
  8. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    Zell and the cousins listened intently to all Stacey said, but still clung to their visions of the North.
  9. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
    Capitol Street also boasted a splendid view of the sprawling Old Capitol Building built before the Civil War.
  10. fester
    gnaw into; make resentful or angry
    One look at him and we knew he was still festering over Moe’s attack.
  11. wiry
    lean but strong
    Morris was a tall boy, chocolate in coloring, like Moe, and wiry.
  12. genial
    diffusing warmth and friendliness
    Papa kept on chopping and said in his genial way, “You figure you grown enough to tell me that?”
  13. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    I shot Stacey an incredulous look. Papa did too.
  14. begrudge
    allow unwillingly or reluctantly
    “Big Ma, I know how to cook chicken,” I said, giving her a look. “After all, you taught me.”
    “Well...” she said begrudgingly, “just make sho it don’t burn.”
  15. admonish
    scold or reprimand; take to task
    “Now you jus’ gettin’ smart,” Big Ma admonished with a big smile.
  16. beau
    a man with whom one has a romantic relationship
    All the girls your age round here been married four, five, or more years, got two, three, four children, and far’s I can tell, you ain’t even got a beau.
  17. reminiscent
    serving to bring to mind
    A few days before I was to leave, Papa and I walked the land. It was reminiscent of the many times we had walked the fields and the meadows and the forest.
  18. relent
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    “You make all your veterans and their families pay before they get their meals?”
    The man glanced back too and relented. “All right, go on, wait outside. We’ll bring your order to you.”
  19. voluptuous
    (of a woman's body) having a large bosom and pleasing curves
    Aunt Loretta was a vibrant woman, voluptuously built, with bright red lipstick and long red fingernails and formfitting clothes.
  20. unnerve
    disturb the composure of
    The reference of course was to the fact that no one in our Mississippi community had a telephone. That in itself had been unnerving to Aunt Loretta when she visited.
  21. affable
    diffusing warmth and friendliness
    “Your brother has been telling me quite a bit about you, Miss Logan,” he said affably as we all sat down in comfortable chairs next to Uncle Hammer.
  22. itinerary
    a proposed route of travel
    It was clear to us that even though Uncle Hammer led the tour, Aunt Loretta was in charge of it and had scheduled the itinerary beforehand with him.
  23. surly
    unfriendly and inclined toward anger or irritation
    Aunt Loretta gave him a look, but then dismissed his surliness.
  24. lament
    express grief verbally
    “Well, I hope you all aren’t going back,” lamented Aunt Loretta. “It’s been so good having all you young folks here.”
  25. cordial
    politely warm and friendly
    I was cordial, but I wasn’t going out of my way to make friends with her.
  26. rankle
    make resentful or angry
    Her order rankled me, but it was her place and I was only a guest in it.
  27. evocative
    serving to bring to mind
    His voice was evocative. His eyes were piercing.
  28. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    “Yes,” he acknowledged, his face solemn now.
  29. coy
    affectedly shy especially in a playful or provocative way
    “Why do you need my hand to walk?” I asked coyly.
  30. belfry
    a tower in which bells are hung
    He pointed to the belfry. “You see that bell up there? Took more than twenty men to raise it.”
  31. intrigue
    cause to be interested or curious
    I listened intently to his every word. I was intrigued by him.
  32. naive
    inexperienced
    I knew I was in so many ways naïve around men. I had always been protected, sheltered, by Papa, Mama, Big Ma, by my brothers.
  33. overt
    open and observable; not secret or hidden
    So far, there had been nothing overt in his actions.
  34. upholstery
    covering on a piece of furniture
    As I tried to think of a place for Flynn to take me, I took note of Flynn’s car, the beauty of the upholstery and the design of the steering panel.
  35. proprietor
    someone who owns a business
    The gentleman was Señor Peña, proprietor of the restaurant, and he greeted me warmly, taking my hand in both of his before calling out to someone in a back room.
  36. lilt
    a jaunty rhythm in music or speech
    There was a lilt to the words, smiles on faces all around, and the discomfort I had felt earlier was gone.
  37. brevity
    the attribute of being short or fleeting
    He did not elaborate, and from the brevity of his answer, I knew not to question him.
  38. modest
    not large but sufficient in size or amount
    Mrs. Hendersen lived in a modest -looking house, well-kept, a few blocks off Central Avenue.
  39. faculty
    an inherent cognitive or perceptual power of the mind
    Although confined to a wheelchair, it was obvious she was still in charge of her faculties and of her house.
  40. brusque
    rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
    “You need help moving?’’ she asked in her brusque way.
Created on Thu Feb 11 16:28:00 EST 2021 (updated Fri Feb 19 15:19:47 EST 2021)

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