Hattie Big Sky: Chapters 1–3

by Kirby Larson
Following the death of her uncle, sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks travels to Montana to prove she can take care of her inherited land while dealing with anti-German sentiment during World War I.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–11, Chapters 12–16, Chapters 17–23
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. southpaw
    a person who is left-handed
    The one who’d taught me how to pitch, and me a southpaw.
  2. stationery
    paper cut to an appropriate size for writing letters
    Miss Simpson made a dull speech as she presented Charlie with a gift from the school: a wool stocking cap and some stationery.
  3. filigree
    delicate and intricate ornamentation
    I held them up, peering through a filigree of dropped stitches.
  4. domestic
    of or relating to the home
    To hear her tell it most days, there was no end to my flaws in the domesticity department.
  5. bounty
    generosity evidenced by a willingness to give freely
    “God moves in mysterious ways. We should not question this bounty from lantha.”
  6. glower
    an angry stare
    “She knows too much already,” snapped Aunt Ivy. “Or thinks she does!” This with a glower in my direction.
  7. gall
    irritate or vex
    It galled her that Uncle Holt would ask my opinion about anything, let alone my own future.
  8. settee
    a small sofa
    I grabbed the arm of the settee.
  9. steadfast
    firm and dependable especially in loyalty
    Being of sound mind, I do hereby leave to Hattie Inez Brooks my claim and the house and its contents, as well as one steadfast horse named Plug and a contemptible cow known as Violet.
  10. contemptible
    deserving of scorn or disrespect
    Being of sound mind, I do hereby leave to Hattie Inez Brooks my claim and the house and its contents, as well as one steadfast horse named Plug and a contemptible cow known as Violet.
  11. postscript
    a note appended to a letter after the signature
    Postscript: H—Bring warm clothes and a cat.
  12. resolute
    firm in purpose or belief
    Resolute in my decision, I did what any good homesteader must do: I took the four hundred dollars my parents had left me out of the bank and bought warm clothes and a twelve-dollar ticket on the Great Northern Railway.
  13. homesteader
    someone who settles on and farms government land
    Uncle Holt gave me his old work boots, and Miss Simpson presented me with a copy of Campbell’s 1907 Soil Culture Manual. Her brother had gone out to Montana himself and assured her this was the text any homesteader must have for farming in eastern prairie country.
  14. din
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    The first night on the train I couldn’t sleep for my excitement; the third night, I couldn’t sleep for the smell and the din.
  15. entail
    impose, involve, or imply as a necessary result
    What shall I do first when I arrive? What is entailed in proving up? What if I can’t do it?
  16. muddle
    a difficult situation
    Aunt Ivy would be as pleased as Mr. Whiskers with a mouthful of feathers to know l am in such a muddle.
  17. gumption
    fortitude and determination
    But, surely, agreeing to move to Montana, to Uncle Chester’s claim, showed some familial gumption.
  18. bodice
    part of a dress above the waist
    I checked Mother’s watch, pinned to my bodice.
  19. discreet
    not easily noticeable
    I shifted on the seat, trying to discreetly rearrange the folds of my skirt under a very tired rump.
  20. indelicate
    in violation of good taste even verging on the indecent
    The fat man exploded with such an exceedingly indelicate phrase that my stomach lurched.
  21. conniving
    acting together in secret toward a fraudulent or illegal end
    “Him and all them greedy conniving railroad men, making promises Montana can’t deliver.”
  22. tirade
    a speech of violent denunciation
    The train slowed, but the fat man’s tirade did not.
  23. oration
    an instance of formal speaking
    In fact, he reminded me of Reverend Porter at the last tent revival, proud of his three-hour orations.
  24. lurch
    move abruptly
    At that moment, the train lurched. I tottered in the aisle, desperate to preserve my balance—and my dignity—as well as a grip on my bags and my cat.
  25. valise
    a small overnight bag for short trips
    I left my trunk, grabbed my valise and Mr. Whiskers, and started off down the snow-lined street.
  26. fathom
    come to understand
    I’m certain she thought this explanation was clear as crystal, but I couldn’t fathom one word of it.
  27. homely
    lacking in physical beauty or proportion
    Her smile flickered uncertainly, then lit up her homely face again.
  28. magpie
    an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker
    “And this here’s Chase—he’s eight—and Mattie’s six—she’s our little magpie—and the baby’s Fern.”
  29. legacy
    a gift of personal property by will
    It took me a moment to recall that Violet and Plug were the animal part of my legacy from Uncle Chester.
  30. livery
    the care of horses for pay
    He let us out in front and rode on to the livery stable.
  31. wayward
    resistant to guidance or discipline
    Perilee rounded up her wayward chicks.
  32. relinquish
    release, as from one's grip
    I relinquished Mr. Whiskers’ case to Chase.
  33. careworn
    showing the effects of overwork or suffering
    “That looks like everything, Tom,” Mr. Ebgard said to the careworn man across from him.
  34. commission
    a fee for services rendered
    “I’m not getting rich off you, Tom.” Mr. Ebgard put down his pen. “My commission’s only two dollars.”
  35. cultivate
    prepare for crops
    “Your uncle tell you that you need to cultivate one-eighth of this claim? That’s forty acres.”
  36. eccentric
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
    I tried not to stare, but the newcomer was most eccentric. A thick, shoe-polish-black beard hung to his waist. Wire-brush eyebrows, dusted with snow, rested atop a pair of eyes that looked thirty years younger than the face in which they were set.
  37. askew
    turned or twisted to one side
    An improbably long patchwork scarf was wrapped around his neck, and a fur hat perched askew on his large head.
  38. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
    Now the cold air felt heavenly—exactly what I needed to clear my thoughts. A chess-playing, pungent neighbor was the least of my worries.
  39. balmy
    mild and pleasant
    Hanson’s Cash Grocery and Bakery was directly across the street—no doubt a short trip on a balmy spring day.
  40. imposing
    impressive in appearance
    The imposing brick Sherman Hotel reigned from the far end of town.
Created on Tue Apr 12 12:26:05 EDT 2022 (updated Mon Apr 18 09:52:15 EDT 2022)

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