Hattie Big Sky: Chapters 12–16

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
40 words 7 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. hamper
    prevent the progress or free movement of
    Perilee ran to Karl, her progress hampered by exhaustion and her round middle.
  2. burgeon
    grow and flourish
    “It was smoking when we got home,” said Perilee, slowly stroking her burgeoning middle.
  3. amble
    walk leisurely
    I loosened the reins and let Plug amble his way home.
  4. smolder
    burn slowly and without a flame
    A charred bundle of hay, still smoldering, leaned at a drunken angle against a pile of rocks, spitting distance from the barn.
  5. sodden
    wet through and through; thoroughly wet
    The closer I got, the more I could smell the sodden ashes and burnt dreams.
  6. muslin
    plain-woven cotton fabric
    After several biscuits, I brought out the slim packet wrapped in muslin and tied with a strip of calico.
  7. paisley
    a fabric with a colorful swirled pattern of curved shapes
    I held up a blue calico and a green paisley.
  8. withers
    the highest part of the back at the base of an animal's neck
    I patted his withers. He stood patiently while I connected the chains from the bottom edge of the harness to the beam on the plow.
  9. brood
    the young of an animal cared for at one time
    Growing up, I hadn’t been around children much. The relatives I’d been sent to all seemed to have raised their broods; I was an add-on.
  10. veritable
    being truly so called; real or genuine
    She and Chase scooped up a veritable rainbow of flowers.
  11. unwieldy
    lacking grace in movement or posture
    Flowers, greens, and buckets forgotten, we ran across the prairie, joined at the hands and wobbling like an unwieldy snake.
  12. skittish
    unpredictably excitable, especially of horses
    I remembered Perilee’s comments about the clothes on the line attracting the antelope. Maybe they’d have the opposite effect on skittish horses.
  13. demented
    affected with madness or insanity
    I ripped off my skirt and petticoat and began flapping them like a demented bird in bloomers.
  14. dervish
    a Muslim monk of an order noted for fast ceremonial dancing
    I flailed my arms and wailed like a dime-novel dervish.
  15. homily
    a sermon on a moral or religious topic
    I set it on the kitchen table—a reminder of wishes come true—lit the kerosene lamp and finished writing my Honyocker’s Homily.
  16. admonish
    counsel in terms of someone's behavior
    As I close this installment, let me say this: for all the times my aunt admonished me that a lady never goes out without at least one petticoat under her skirt, I am most thankful.
  17. callused
    having tough, thickened areas of skin
    It rocked as we settled in, smoothing wool skirts into place with callused hands.
  18. semblance
    the outward or apparent appearance or form of something
    Mrs. Martin crashed out a semblance of the tune on the careworn upright piano.
  19. tumult
    a state of commotion and noise and confusion
    Then, softly, surely, an angel’s voice broke through the tumult, offering a place for that raggedy mix of voices to land.
  20. pertain
    be relevant to
    Rather, the lessons this life has planted in my heart pertain more to caring than to crops, more to Golden Rule than gold, more to the proper choice than to the popular choice.
  21. burlesque
    relating to a broadly humorous theatrical entertainment
    “Doing any more of them burlesque dances out there on the prairie?”
  22. distinguished
    standing above others in character or attainment
    “Did you hear about Edward Foster? They nearly lynched the poor old man simply because he said too many of our boys are dying in the war. And him a distinguished veteran.”
  23. wherewithal
    the necessary means (especially financial means)
    If I hadn’t been in shock, I might have had the wherewithal to turn a cold shoulder to the person I next encountered: Traft Martin.
  24. discretion
    knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress
    It may be true that discretion is the better part of valor. But Leafie’s words as we walked to town were still rummaging around in my brain. And the nerve of this man.
  25. dubious
    open to doubt or suspicion
    “Don’t add liar to your list of dubious accomplishments.”
  26. bluster
    a swaggering show of courage
    His voice lost all its bluster.
  27. careen
    move at high speed and in an uncontrolled way
    In one magnificent motion, Rooster Jim jerked the bicycle off course and careened—thunk—into the stacked bundles.
  28. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    I took the hat gingerly between my thumb and forefinger. Good thing I’d bought kerosene; I could soak Jim’s hat in it and evict all the bedbug roomers.
  29. trellis
    latticework used to support climbing plants
    There, planted in his garden, was that bicycle. Jim had found a use for it: as a trellis for his string beans.
  30. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
    With an indignant squawk, Rose led the way into their new domicile, tempted by a trail of grain.
  31. domicile
    housing that someone is living in
    With an indignant squawk, Rose led the way into their new domicile, tempted by a trail of grain.
  32. trough
    a container from which cattle or horses feed
    I slipped in an old pan for their water trough and fastened the chicken coop door closed.
  33. propensity
    a natural inclination
    The dark circles under my eyes spoke to the rooster’s propensity for early morning announcements.
  34. portent
    a sign of something about to happen
    Rooster Jim says all portents point to a good harvest.
  35. knoll
    a small natural mound
    She pointed to a small knoll about a mile away.
  36. trundle
    move slowly or heavily
    Leafie trundled after her.
  37. brandish
    exhibit aggressively
    Elmer junior came running from the barn, brandishing a hoe. “Let my daddy go!”
  38. atrocity
    an act of shocking cruelty
    I’d been inspired after reading a particularly gruesome report about Hun atrocities.
  39. testament
    strong evidence for something
    I’d been at it all day. Bushels full of that sneaky weed stood as testament to my labors.
  40. hardscrabble
    involving struggle, difficulties, or poverty
    When I came out here, I thought only of having a piece of property to call my own. But this hardscrabble place has brought me so much more than that.
Created on Tue Apr 12 12:30:08 EDT 2022 (updated Mon Apr 18 09:52:48 EDT 2022)

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