The Summer of Bitter and Sweet: Chapters 12–
20

by Jen Ferguson
Named after her Native American mother, eighteen-year-old Louisa Norquay must decide whether she wants to meet her criminal father in order to save her family's ice cream business and pay for an education at Canada's University of Alberta.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–11, Chapters 12–20, Chapters 21–28, Chapters 29–35
35 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. wistfully
    in a pensively sad manner
    He only says wistfully, “Or maybe it was a few years before. She was such a teenager.”
  2. conventional
    conforming with accepted standards
    “It doesn’t work if we’re conventional. Conventional milk under government subsidies needs to be used for particular purposes.”
  3. subsidy
    a grant of financial assistance, especially by a government
    “It doesn’t work if we’re conventional. Conventional milk under government subsidies needs to be used for particular purposes.”
  4. bale
    a large bundle bound for storage or transport
    Dom pushes himself up from the hay bale.
  5. ire
    anger; irritability
    I’m frustrated he ghosted but weirdly angry at myself too. That muddle cancels out my ire until it’s nothing but a faint sadness.
  6. pike
    highly valued northern freshwater fish with lean flesh
    I didn’t mention sturgeon, a living “dinosaur” of the fish world, because they live in rivers and don’t have teeth, but when I whispered about the dreaded northern pike and its multiple rows of sharpened fangs, King grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me out of the lake while I laughed.
  7. sassy
    improperly forward or bold
    I walk past the store for tweens that’s all bright purples and sassy statements in sequins on tank tops.
  8. complementary
    serving to fill out, enhance, or supply what is lacking
    We prefer green mix-ins, to keep the color fresh 
and complementary, but no one says in your kitchen you 
can’t try cherries or even, yes, chunks of dark chocolate.
  9. atrophy
    undergo weakening or degeneration as through lack of use
    I used to be good at this, at finding myself somewhere new, at leaving people behind. But it’s like any other skill, like water polo: if you don’t do something regularly the muscles atrophy.
  10. kinesiology
    the study of the mechanics and anatomy of human movement
    “I don’t know how to use that stuff,” I say. But what I mean is kinesiology tape is expensive.
  11. bursar
    the treasurer at a college or university
    And I need to finish paying off my balance at the bursar’s office before they’ll lock in my schedule.
  12. deltoid
    large triangular muscle covering the shoulder joint
    The first piece of tape hugs shoulder to bicep.
    King talks to himself: “Deltoid, twenty-five percent tension.”
  13. striking
    having a quality that thrusts itself into attention
    He walks over to the driver’s side door and strips his hoodie off until he exposes a loose workout tank—the fuchsia striking, pretty against his skin.
  14. conform
    adapt oneself to new or different conditions
    When I moved to Toronto I had to learn to live in a place that’s not all white space, I had to learn how to live with other Black and brown people. Don’t you think, Lou, that I would have been the person to get what you were going through, to understand why conforming to whiteness felt like safety?
  15. recourse
    something or someone turned to for assistance or security
    I have legal recourse and will use it as necessary.
  16. incentivize
    give someone a motive to do something
    You’re of age; it’s your choice to meet me.
    I’ll incentivize you.
    I’ll pay your tuition.
  17. covert
    secret or hidden
    When he lets me go, I search my pockets covertly.
  18. impending
    close in time; about to occur
    I can’t sit around waiting for what’s next, and it’s not the stress of the impending tornado pushing me to action.
  19. curt
    brief and to the point
    Maurice nods once, curtly.
  20. relent
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    Maurice is slower but he relents.
  21. succumb
    give in, as to overwhelming force, influence, or pressure
    The line succumbs to static.
  22. waver
    be unsure or weak
    My voice wavers. “Are you sure?”
  23. buffer
    someone who shields you from something harmful or annoying
    This morning, full of nervous energy, I sink my hands into hot, soapy water while I wait for my uncles to drive into town, for people to gather outside the Friendship Center. I need a buffer.
  24. pertain
    be relevant to
    “Something strange happened earlier this week and it pertains to you. I was at the welcome desk, minding my own, and a white guy, around forty, bearded, wearing his sunglasses inside like he was in a music video, you know the kind, he starts asking questions about you. The personal variety.”
  25. impound
    take temporary possession of by legal authority
    “Retrieve that ID. Today. The next time, I’ll impound your vehicle so long you’ll never be able to afford to get it back.”
  26. stave off
    prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening
    Change. It’s our world, the one constant. We’re fools to think otherwise. To think we can stave it off.
  27. mortar
    a vessel in which substances can be ground with a pestle
    My shoulder aches like I’ve been hand-grinding roots for Dom on the old mortar and pestle we keep in the kitchen, and last night I swallowed some leftover pain pills I found in our medicine cabinet.
  28. funk
    a state of nervous depression
    I’m driving into town deep in my weird funk, trying to work through that every time I see a white SUV, I flinch; that since I hurt my shoulder, I’m not excited about university—when Florence blows up my phone.
  29. muse
    reflect deeply on a subject
    “I didn’t sign a contract?” she muses.
  30. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    He leaves dejected.
    If we’ve lost as much as Dom thinks we have, we really might have to close early.
  31. inundate
    overwhelm or fill quickly beyond capacity
    I shove my phone deep in the pocket of my jumpsuit as if that will quiet the rush of feelings inundating me and force myself to get back to the mess.
  32. flourish
    a showy gesture
    “As you can see...” Florence waves with dramatic flourish. “We’ve had a little power failure.”
  33. sprig
    a small branch or stem, usually with leaves or flowers
    Dom pulls samples from his concentrated flavor stocks—freeze-dried raspberries, sprigs of wild mint, a fingertip of moose fat—and offers the Wheeler family a taste.
  34. precocious
    characterized by exceptionally early development
    They’re from farther out, Edmonton and Saskatoon, and one family is from Prince Edward Island, this the best stop on their cross-country road trip so far, their precocious preteen says, digging into the family’s carton with one of our mismatched kitchen spoons.
  35. rehash
    discuss again; go back over
    “We don’t need to rehash it here. Please.”
Created on Thu Jun 01 11:26:36 EDT 2023 (updated Fri Jun 23 13:38:47 EDT 2023)

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