In the Wild Light: Chapters 23–34

by Jeff Zentner
Cash and Delaney's friendship is tested when they get the chance to leave their working-class community to study at an elite prep school.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–22, Chapters 23–34, Chapters 35–48, Chapter 49–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. regale
    occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
    “So regale us with your theory," Cameron says.
  2. verdant
    characterized by abundance of vegetation and green foliage
    It's a buoyant, shimmering blend of honeyed pineapple; something lemony and floral, like magnolia blossoms; something verdant, like ivy; and freshly laundered cotton sheets drying in a humid breeze.
  3. envoy
    someone on a mission to represent another's interests
    Small groups of students huddle in close circles, talking, holding plates and cups. Occasionally one cluster will send an envoy to another.
  4. periphery
    the outside boundary or surface of something
    I see her, three cans of Coke in hand—watching, observing—at the periphery of the congregation.
  5. overarching
    including, affecting, or dominating everything
    There was an overarching logic and intelligence to their motion, and if you could only figure it out, then you might have a clue to unlocking the secret of the seemingly random interactions of more sophisticated creatures.
  6. stilted
    stiff and strained; lacking natural ease
    We make stilted small talk and peel back away from each other.
  7. effervescent
    marked by high spirits or excitement
    She's so effervescent and outgoing, she could easily be making many new friends.
  8. errant
    moving in an uncontrolled, irregular, or unpredictable way
    She carefully loops the necklace around Vi's neck, avoiding an errant strand of copper-colored hair.
  9. regalia
    paraphernalia indicative of royalty or other high office
    Some of the storefronts are already bedecked in autumn regalia.
  10. introspection
    contemplation of your own thoughts and desires and conduct
    Her stretches of introspection seem more placid than they used to. She's still been attacking her thumbs, but without her usual furious urgency.
  11. placid
    not easily irritated
    Her stretches of introspection seem more placid than they used to. She's still been attacking her thumbs, but without her usual furious urgency.
  12. surreptitiously
    in a secretive manner
    During this, I surreptitiously check my phone with my remaining three percent of battery, to see that Vi has tagged me in a couple of photos she took of us in New Canaan.
  13. cacophony
    loud confusing disagreeable sounds
    The animated cacophony in the auditorium quickly tapers off as Middleford's head of school, Dr. Archampong, takes the podium, dressed in an immaculate charcoal three-piece suit.
  14. exhort
    spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts
    He exhorts us to cultivate a love of learning and of each other.
  15. conspicuous
    obvious to the eye or mind
    I already feel conspicuous enough. I don’t need everyone thinking I attended some snake-handling church down in the holler.
  16. bearing
    characteristic way of holding one's body
    He has a military bearing.
  17. finesse
    subtly skillful handling of a situation
    “And the good news," Coach Cartier says, "is that because we're working on pure strength and conditioning today, rather than finesse, we can jump right in."
  18. apt
    being of striking appropriateness and relevance
    "Save you a trip back. You earned it on the erg."
    “Ergs are aptly named. Errrrrrrgh.”
  19. fracas
    a noisy, angry argument or fight between people
    I can picture Delaney standing just outside the fracas, looking zoned-out, while she observes the patterns of play and searches for the right formula, ignoring the calls of her coach to get into the action.
  20. stave off
    prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening
    He staves off a coughing fit.
  21. despondent
    without or almost without hope
    "I mean, I thought I might fit in here? Turns out it's just a different kind of hater than in Sawyer.” Delaney sounds despondent.
  22. doting
    extravagantly or foolishly loving and indulgent
    Vi’s parents sound busy but doting.
  23. nondenominational
    not restricted to a particular religious group or sect
    On Sunday mornings, I go with Alex to a sparsely attended nondenominational Christian worship service on campus.
  24. aloof
    distant, cold, or detached in manner
    Tripp remains aloof.
  25. cohort
    a company of companions or supporters
    He's constantly surrounded by a cohort who also sweat the smell of money.
  26. coxswain
    the helmsman of a ship's boat or a racing crew
    The coxswain sends half of us to get the oars, while the remaining rowers open the oarlocks and hold the shell in place.
  27. unambiguous
    admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding
    I wish she'd be unambiguously angry or annoyed. I can't read her mood and it's unnerving.
  28. precipice
    the brink of a dangerous or potentially disastrous situation
    Papaw wasn’t dying while I was far from him at a place where I didn’t belong, always on the precipice of disappointing him.
  29. trite
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
    I’ll write a line. Then I'll think it sounds dumb or trite, and I'll scratch it out and start over.
  30. fraught
    marked by distress
    We don’t speak for a few moments. We’ve certainly fought in our time as friends. But this feels uglier. More fraught.
  31. inordinate
    beyond normal limits
    I pause for what feels like an inordinately long time before I murmur, “You're right."
  32. grievance
    a complaint about a wrong that causes resentment
    The only thing worse than studying wordlessly next to Tripp is trying to study when Tripp has something to hash out. And he only ever does that when he has a grievance of some kind.
  33. goad
    provoke as by constant criticism
    I don't like the goading in his tone.
  34. ebullient
    joyously unrestrained
    Vi emerges, ebullient, practically skipping, grinning widely.
  35. permeate
    spread or diffuse through
    An infectious energy permeates the air as we approach the stadium, a halo of artificial daylight above it from its blazing white lights.
Created on Thu Mar 10 10:08:11 EST 2022 (updated Fri Mar 18 10:53:27 EDT 2022)

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