Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna: Chapters 6–13

by Alda P. Dobbs
Based on a true story, this historical novel follows twelve-year-old Petra and her family as they flee their home during the Mexican Revolution and travel through battlefields and deserts to find a better life in the United States.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: "Citlalin Popoca"–Chapter 5, Chapters 6–13, Chapters 14–25
35 words 14 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. haunch
    the upper thigh and back of the hip in human beings
    Sitting on my haunches next to Papá, I observed the photograph that took up almost half of the front page.
  2. striking
    having a quality that thrusts itself into attention
    In it, Madero wore a strikingly fancy suit and appeared to be inside a big room, reading to a group of men dressed like him.
  3. covet
    wish, long, or crave for
    I bet there are plenty of men in that room who covet Madero’s power.
  4. naive
    not initiated; deficient in relevant experience
    “I blame him,” the man continued, “because after becoming president, he kept Díaz’s old generals at his side. He should have gotten rid of them too. Instead he was naive and was later betrayed.”
  5. baffled
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
    “I don’t know,” I said. The girl gave me a baffled look.
  6. scorn
    look down on with disdain
    She had always scorned my talk of letters, teachers, or learning to read. Her words had never bothered me, but now that Mamá and Papá were gone, they stung.
  7. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    Abuelita gave an exasperated sigh and turned to us. “Wanting to learn to read is a big dream, and big dreams are dangerous,” said Abuelita.
  8. stability
    a constant order, especially of society
    I wanted stability in my life. I wanted to go to school. But my dream was meaningless if I didn’t stick to my promise.
  9. lush
    produced or growing in extreme abundance
    Everyone marched east, away from the lush surroundings of the church and into the white dust of the desert.
  10. void
    an empty area or space
    The desert’s intense glare was blinding, but despite it, I felt as if we were walking in darkness, as if we’d been thrown into a void where questions about Papá, our lives, and our future echoed in the emptiness and went unanswered.
  11. arroyo
    a stream or brook
    We crossed a dry arroyo before coming across a small, quiet hill.
  12. tempest
    a strong storm with violent winds
    Papá stared at a distant storm coming over the mountains. The tempest pushed a blanket of dread across the desert that seemed to smother the last bit of calm in Papá.
  13. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    His voice was as solemn as if he’d lost another family member, and my heart crumpled, not for the president but for Papá’s anguish.
  14. strife
    bitter conflict; heated or violent dissension
    Uncertainty seemed to always invite havoc and strife into our lives.
  15. abound
    exist in large quantities
    Poisonous yucca and lechuguilla abounded. Some, as tall as oxen, provided shade and relief from the blazing sun.
  16. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    I strapped Luisito to my back again as we continued our somber march.
  17. barren
    providing no shelter or sustenance
    The same barren land surrounded us as far as the eye could see, and the small wooden crosses, like the ones we’d seen under the mesquite, seemed to have multiplied the deeper we got into the desert.
  18. smolder
    burn slowly and without a flame
    It looked blurry as it wavered in the smoldering heat.
  19. mimic
    imitate, especially for satirical effect
    Abuelita’s gentle shush mimicked not only the cicada’s song but also the sound of leaves ruffled by an autumn breeze.
  20. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    After having smelled what seemed like a wagonload of creek pebbles, I finally got the tiny, subtle whiff of rain.
  21. malady
    impairment of normal physiological function
    Susto was a malady brought about by a terrifying experience. It made the soul want to flee the body. If the susto was small, a spoonful of honey or sugar brought the cure.
  22. alms
    money or goods contributed to the poor
    For generations, no one in our family had ever begged for alms, even in the worst of times.
  23. desolate
    having few or no inhabitants
    The entire plaza and the streets surrounding us were desolate. Even the trees appeared to have no birds.
  24. parched
    dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
    His skin was the color of ash, and his parched lips were slightly open. His body no longer shivered.
  25. sweltering
    excessively hot and humid; marked by sweating and faintness
    She’d fought hard to keep her eyes open, to smile and to tell us everything would be fine. Those images, alive in my mind, and now Luisito’s sweltering body were like blows to the gut.
  26. magistrate
    a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law
    The doctor was a blond, blue-eyed man, and he spoke to Marietta, a dark-brown mestiza, as if she were a town’s magistrate.
  27. mesmerized
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    She was mesmerized by a pair of blue tin cups in front of her.
  28. cranny
    a small opening or crevice
    Its walls were filled with small hollows people had dug, resembling a giant mud wasp nest. In each cranny, candlelight flickered, revealing photos, items of loved ones, and pictures of saints.
  29. prevail
    prove superior
    Its joyous ring let us know that together as Mexicans, we’d risen, fought, and prevailed. Papá liked the song because it’d made him feel like he too could overcome.
  30. vaquero
    a cowboy or cattle driver
    “Papá was great. He was the best vaquero, cowboy, in the region. Everyone always brought horses for him to tame, and he trained them so well, you barely had to touch the reins to let the horse know what to do.”
  31. scuffle
    disorderly fighting
    I was preparing dinner when I heard a scuffle outside. I looked out the window and saw Papá wrestling a soldier to the ground. The second federal stood next to the tussle, laughing.
  32. rabid
    infected by an acute viral disease of the nervous system
    He’d heard my scream and was soon charging toward me like a rabid dog.
  33. sentinel
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    I lay my drained body down, but despite my full belly, the warm fire, and the rebel sentinels keeping vigil, I could not sleep.
  34. stature
    the height of a standing person
    She was a small woman, but despite her age and stature, she carried herself with strength and a lot of pride.
  35. dire
    fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
    “Our dire time is over,” said Abuelita. “You heard Doña Amparo. Villa’s people are well kept. How about we join the soldaderas instead? We could cook food, make tortillas, wash clothes, and in the meantime, you can start looking for a boy to take care of you.”
Created on Mon Mar 21 10:12:38 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Mar 25 13:07:01 EDT 2022)

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