The Light in Hidden Places: Chapters 9–15

by Sharon Cameron
Based on a true World War II story, this novel details how, as a teenager, Stefania Podgórska managed to take care of her younger sister, while hiding and supporting Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–8, Chapters 9–15, Chapters 16–22, Chapters 23–30
35 words 12 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. rustle
    a light noise, like the noise of leaves blowing in the wind
    Other times the SS were on duty and the only noise at the ghetto gate was the rustle of a newspaper blowing down the street to stick against the barbed wire.
  2. spite
    hurt the feelings of
    It was like a game. Stay alive. Spite the Nazis.
  3. gourd
    container made from the dried shell of a large, round fruit
    I was like a gourd. Empty and rattling on the inside.
  4. lapel
    a fold of fabric below the collar of a coat or jacket
    Max straightened the lapel of his mother’s old coat.
  5. muddle
    a confused multitude of things
    We were half-below street level here, and the stained glass was a dim muddle of colors.
  6. effigy
    a representation of a person
    Candles glowed above the altar, the cross with the effigy of the dying Christ above that.
  7. incense
    a substance that produces a fragrant odor when burned
    We sat, smelling the incense.
  8. somberly
    in a serious and solemn manner
    I asked Mr. Szymczak if he would help me reattach my locks, and he did, somberly, while I made Helena a late dinner from our portion of the kasha.
  9. bound
    very likely; almost certain to happen
    Mr. Szymczak left me his hammer and a handful of nails. He said I was bound to need them.
  10. splay
    widen or spread apart
    And just above my head, I discovered a hole had appeared in the windowpane, little cracks splaying out from it like the web of a spider.
  11. volley
    rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms
    And I could hear the shooting. Volleys of it. Firing squads.
  12. divvy
    separate into parts or portions
    It had taught me that people like to divvy up one another with names. Jew. Catholic. German. Pole. But these were the wrong names. They were the wrong dividing lines.
  13. flit
    move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
    She nods, stares another second at Max, and flits away in her nightgown.
  14. loll
    hang loosely or laxly
    His head lolls against the bare wall.
  15. contort
    twist and press out of shape
    He shakes his head, wincing.
    “Are you alone?”
    His face contorts.
  16. extravagance
    excessive spending
    “Then make it. Please. And put in two spoonfuls of sugar. And you can throw a lump of coal in the fire, too.”
    Now she stares at me. These are extravagances.
  17. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    He does, laying his head on the pillow gingerly—I know his side and his chest must hurt—slowly sliding his feet beneath the blanket.
  18. brooding
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    She’s asleep when I come back, and the street below us is brooding.
  19. threadbare
    thin and tattered with age
    A stranger in a threadbare coat, and he doesn’t say hello or ask a question.
  20. rafter
    one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof
    The roof slopes down on one side to a brick chimney, and that is where I kneel, at the eaves, where the rafters meet the floor.
  21. eaves
    the overhang at the lower edge of a roof
    The Diamant boys used to tell me stories about the attic, when I was young and teasable, about the dead bodies hidden in the eaves by the previous landlord.
  22. bounty
    the property of being richly abundant or plentiful
    Helena squeals with excitement at the bounty in my knapsack. We have eggs, buttered toast, and a glass of milk each for dinner; there’s a small sack of coal in the corner, and magazine cuttings pinned all over the wall.
  23. jut
    extend out or project in space
    So I ask for Henek instead, and the woman who gives me the direction has a sharp jaw and collarbones jutting out on either side of her neck.
  24. insolence
    the trait of being rude and impertinent
    “I’m not supporting Jews. The Jews are supporting me. They need food, I need money. Now how can there be a law against that?”
    For one second, I think my insolence is going to make this policeman smile.
  25. dregs
    sediment that has settled at the bottom of a liquid
    I shift my position on the chilly floor, cupping the warmth from the hot water I’ve poured over the dregs of my tea, thinking of how close Max came to suicide on the train.
  26. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    He saunters into the room, and she backs away, sticks out her lip, and sits on the bed, hard.
  27. demure
    suggestive of modesty or reserve
    I wait, patient, demure, watching his eyes rove all over the contents of my letter.
  28. demented
    affected with madness or insanity
    I watch Helena sleeping that night, but what I see is the pistol of the demented SS man, pointing at Mr. Schwarzer.
  29. dingy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
    Now the little office I’m standing in is dingy and smells of hot metal.
  30. inevitable
    incapable of being avoided or prevented
    There are fifteen or sixteen others with me, men and women looking as lost as I am, gathered around a desk with the inevitable German and the inevitable stack of folders and forms.
  31. prone
    having a tendency
    The mechanic shows me how to do it, because while the work is mostly easy, the machines are delicate and prone to breaking down, and he can’t be coming across the floor every few minutes to help me.
  32. quota
    a prescribed number
    My quota is thirty thousand screws every shift, the difference to be taken from my pay.
  33. meander
    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course
    I meander out of the cathedral, and now my feet take me to what was once a Jewish street, not that far from ours.
  34. telltale
    disclosing unintentionally
    The knock comes three more times, and I’m sweating before I hear the telltale creak of a board that means someone has just set foot on the second stair.
  35. precarious
    not secure; beset with difficulties
    I leave the key on the mantel, close the door, and push the precarious cart all the way across Przemyśl to Tatarska 3.
Created on Wed Nov 30 12:11:41 EST 2022 (updated Thu Feb 02 16:19:14 EST 2023)

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