New From Here: Chapters 1–23

by Kelly Yang
Moving back to California from Hong Kong, ten-year-old Knox, his older brother Bowen, and younger sister Lea, must deal not only with the coronavirus but also the separation from their father and fearful suspicions of their background.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–23, Chapters 24–56, Chapters 57–102
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. glare
    look at with a fixed or angry gaze
    I glare at Bowen. Ever since I was about five years old, Bowen’s been calling me Knot instead of my name, Knox, as in Knot-from-this-family, even though I am definitely from this family and Bowen’s from planet Bully.
  2. policy
    a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group
    We’re at the kitchen table, and even though there’s a no-phone policy at the table—a rule Mom came up with—she always forgets and sneaks peeks at her phone.
  3. strike
    refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad conditions
    Dad explains a strike is when you refuse to do your job out of protest.
  4. compassion
    a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering
    “But I also think that we should not use this as an excuse to be hateful toward people just because of where they came from. In moments of human tragedy, we need to show compassion and kindness.”
  5. autonomy
    political independence
    Dad sighs and says, “The Hong Kong people just want more autonomy.”
    “What’s autonomy?” I ask.
    Dad thinks for a minute. “They want to be able to decide their own matters,” he says finally.
    That sounds good. I smile and say, “I want more autonomy in my life too!”
  6. malaria
    a disease caused by parasites transmitted by mosquito bite
    “I got through SARS and malaria!”
    Dad sure has survived a lot of viruses.
  7. composure
    steadiness of mind under stress
    As Mom struggles to regain her composure, Dad turns to us.
  8. ideal
    conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection
    “Hey, I know it’s not ideal to be separated. But it’s an emergency. And sometimes, in emergencies, we have to do what’s best for the family.”
  9. customs
    the place at an airport or port where officials screen incoming travelers and goods
    IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS:
    –WE SAY WE ARE AMERICANS AND WE ARE COMING HOME.
  10. bustle
    move or cause to move energetically or busily
    I feel very sad to be leaving my home; I walk around the apartment, waving from the window at the busy streets, always bustling with people.
  11. scaffold
    a temporary arrangement erected around a building
    I’ll miss the scaffolders, who climb up and down the outsides of buildings putting up bamboo scaffolding so fast, I call them Spider-Men.
  12. frantic
    excessively agitated; distraught with violent emotion
    “Stop!” I cry out. Frantically, I try to level with him.
  13. rustle
    make a dry crackling sound
    “But if you rustle in the middle of the night, I’m going to take your blanket and move it to the garage.”
  14. eczema
    an inflammatory condition of the skin
    “Knox needs to put on lotion every day or his eczema starts flaring up. I’ve packed some in his suitcase.”
    At the mention of my eczema, I immediately start scratching.
  15. relent
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    “All right, Cody, you can go with us, but just to the train station,” Dad relents.
  16. earnest
    characterized by a firm, sincere belief in one's opinions
    Bowen nods and tells Dad he will. I gaze at Bowen’s eyes. He looks earnest while he says it.
  17. cue
    a stimulus that provides information about what to do
    She looks at Bowen, who nods on cue.
  18. expose
    put in a dangerous, disadvantageous, or difficult position
    “I’ll order some stuff on Uber Eats!” Mom offers. “We wouldn’t want to expose anyone.”
  19. buoyancy
    the tendency to float in water or other liquid
    “Mommy? Can you help me? What’s ‘buoyancy’?”
  20. frustrating
    discouraging by hindering
    “I know it’s frustrating. I totally get it. This is hard for everyone, believe me.”
  21. unsustainable
    not capable of being prolonged or continued
    You three can’t do distance learning from another country forever. It’s unsustainable, especially for you, Knox.
  22. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    I flush. It’s probably true, but I don’t want Mom to say it out loud.
  23. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    "No...," I say, mustering up the courage.
  24. impose
    inflict something unpleasant
    Self- imposed quarantine finally ends on our fourteenth day in America with me jumping out of bed.
  25. quarantine
    isolation to prevent the spread of infectious disease
    “No more quarantine! We’re finally free!”
  26. wane
    become smaller
    I can feel Mom’s willpower waning.
    “All right.” Mom caves at last.
  27. resent
    feel bitter or indignant about
    I resent him for taking Dad’s seat, so I kick him with my knee.
  28. cinch
    any undertaking that is easy to do
    “It’ll be a cinch!” Mom says, laying out the screws and bolts, even though it’s usually Dad who builds our IKEA furniture in Hong Kong.
  29. pang
    a mental pain or distress
    Noah wants to play too, but he’s still too short, so Bowen lifts him up. I stop and stare for a second at Bowen holding Noah, feeling a pang of jealousy. He’s always so much nicer to other people’s little brothers.
  30. conviction
    an unshakable belief in something without need for proof
    I nod, feeling the conviction of his words as I put my clothes away. They’re so powerful and sure.
  31. concede
    admit or acknowledge, often reluctantly
    “So you have been thinking about it!” I grin.
    “’Course I’ve been thinking about it,” Bowen concedes.
  32. endorsement
    formal and explicit approval
    “So it’s kind of like a report card,” I say to Mom.
    “Something like that!” she says. “The more endorsements you get from people, the better.”
  33. constraint
    a limitation or restriction
    “I’m sorry, but we currently don’t have that, either,” the school secretary tells her, making copies of our passports and immunization records. “Budget constraints.”
  34. nostalgia
    a longing for something past
    “The teacher was so thrilled, she got me a hamburger from McDonald’s,” Mom says, her eyes shining with nostalgia.
  35. livid
    furiously angry
    “I'm sorry...,” I start to say. But the store clerks are too livid to even look at me.
Created on Wed Nov 23 09:34:22 EST 2022 (updated Thu Feb 09 15:26:23 EST 2023)

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