The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling: Mom–Chapter 4

by Wai Chim
Anna Chiu is a high-schooler who tries to hold her family together as her mother struggles with mental illness.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Mom–Chapter 4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–21, Chapter 22–Mom
40 words 82 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. swath
    a path or strip (also figurative)
    Ma’s tiny form is lost in a swath of thick blanket so only a matted black nest of her hair pokes out.
  2. gouge
    make a groove in
    I gouge out a piece, not caring that it looks like somebody has hacked away a piece of flesh from the middle of the block.
  3. faze
    disturb the composure of
    Lily’s complaining is overly dramatic, but it doesn’t faze me.
  4. carabiner
    an oblong metal ring with a spring clip
    A water bottle dangles from a carabiner clipped to the side.
  5. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    Lily lets out a not-so- subtle huff behind me. “You know, if I get another lecture from Lucy, I’m going to tell her it’s my sister's fault. I’m not taking the fall.”
  6. penchant
    a strong liking or preference
    With a natural penchant for melodrama, Lily’s sounding more and more like her well-off peers.
  7. stationery
    paper cut to an appropriate size for writing letters
    Miss Kennedy’s office is all white, clean, and bright, accented with pastel stationery from kikki.K.
  8. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
    I know the brand because I’ve spent too much time at the mall staring at the pristine notebooks and matching accessories.
  9. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    My face goes hot. I’ve always flushed easily and am terrible at being put on the spot.
  10. lacquer
    coat with varnish
    She taps the side of her head with a lacquered nail.
  11. discreet
    not easily noticeable
    For this little moment, drumming my fingers on my thighs and trying to discreetly mouth the lyrics, I pretend like I’m a somewhat normal teenager.
  12. coy
    affectedly shy especially in a playful or provocative way
    I wish I had the nerve to look up and smile coyly, maybe bat my eyelashes through my glasses or toss my hair the way I see the girls at school flirting.
  13. mortification
    strong feelings of embarrassment
    I pretend not to notice, but he’s laughing as the bus pulls away. Mortification bubbles under my skin, and I clench and unclench my fists as I hurry past the crosswalk toward the school gate.
  14. nondescript
    lacking distinct or individual characteristics
    The school library is a nondescript building at the back of the block.
  15. ambience
    the atmosphere of an environment
    The space seems bigger on the inside, like the TARDIS from Doctor Who, and the lack of natural light adds to its whimsical ambience.
  16. wend
    direct one's course or way
    There is an actual tree trunk in the middle, with thick branches that wend their way between the shelves and bear all sorts of plush forest creatures.
  17. strew
    spread by scattering
    There are a few children strewn about the space, tucked into corners, cradling books.
  18. avant-garde
    radically new or original
    It’s avant-garde, stylistic, and very, very cool.
  19. rapturous
    feeling great delight
    Miss Holloway lets out a rapturous laugh.
  20. whimsical
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
    She’s a bright, vibrant woman, her colored skirts swirling around her thick waist, and her head a mess of gray-blond that blends together whimsically, like elven strands.
  21. placard
    a sign posted in a public place
    I look again at his artwork, and sure enough, next to it is a smooth white placard that says, 1ST PLACE.
  22. wispy
    thin and weak
    Her gray eyes flash behind the wispy lashes, and I do my best to look the right amount of apologetic, sheepish teen.
  23. squander
    spend thoughtlessly; throw away
    Money wasn’t to be squandered on “enrichment activities,” Baba insisted.
  24. initiative
    a new strategy or plan to solve a problem or improve a situation
    “It’s an Inner West diversity initiative to foster young local talent, and I really think that Michael would be perfect for it.”
  25. perforation
    a line of small holes for tearing at a particular place
    She points to the bottom of the form, where there’s an old-school printed perforation and signature line.
  26. broach
    bring up a topic for discussion
    On the bus home, I try to broach the subject about Ma.
  27. engrossed
    giving or marked by complete attention to
    He’s engrossed in a game on my phone.
  28. erratic
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
    Ma’s moods seemed better after Michael was born, and Lily and I thought maybe that was the end of her erratic behavior and maybe, just maybe, we could be a normal family.
  29. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    I watched Lily’s eyebrows shoot up to the same heights as Ms. Lawn’s. Mirrored expressions of incredulous disbelief.
  30. relent
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    Finally, Principal Harris had relented.
  31. pilfer
    make off with belongings of others
    I’ve hung up a couple of old movie posters I pilfered when Blockbuster finally shut down.
  32. gravitate
    move toward
    When we were young, the boys and girls stayed pretty separate, but by Year Ten, hormones meant the sexes gravitated together like galaxies circling each other.
  33. mogul
    a very wealthy or powerful businessperson
    Her family invited us to some big show-off banquet at a swish restaurant all the way in Chatswood, like they were rich Chinese moguls.
  34. saccharine
    overly sweet
    Her grin is fake and saccharine sweet.
  35. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    Wei flashes me a sheepish look and mouths “see ya” before scuttling off after the group.
  36. salve
    anything that remedies, heals, or soothes
    Like Baba, I love to cook; the methodical processes of chopping, gutting, boiling, and steaming combined with creativity and craft is like a cool salve to the burning soul.
  37. residency
    the act of dwelling in or occupying a place
    He eventually got a visa and permanent residency, and Ma and I moved to Australia when I was two.
  38. crockery
    ceramic dishes used for serving food
    I lay out our simple meal in chipped crockery with mismatched resin chopsticks that are too worn to use at the restaurant so have been demoted to home use.
  39. gusto
    vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment
    Lily and Michael are slurping their noodles with gusto.
  40. confound
    be confusing or perplexing to
    “She’s sleeping,” I say, ignoring Lily’s confounding eyebrow.
Created on Fri Mar 11 09:05:17 EST 2022 (updated Fri Apr 01 14:27:08 EDT 2022)

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