The Silence that Binds Us: Chapters 1–20

by Joanna Ho
Descended from Chinese immigrants who'd settled in California, high school junior Maybelline Chen struggles against both cultural and racist stereotypes, especially after her older brother commits suicide.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–20, Chapters 21–39, Chapters 40–60, Chapter 61–Epilogue
35 words 52 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. brandish
    exhibit aggressively
    She can brandish that hippo at me while gracefully hosting a dinner party, chatting up guests, and offering them tea.
  2. waver
    be unsure or weak
    I was wearing my nicest hoodie, but that didn't stop my mom's right eyebrow from twitching, though her smile never wavered as she greeted our guests.
  3. modest
    following standards of propriety in conduct or appearance
    She wore a loose black dress that hit modestly above her knees, the shapeless kind that would look like a potato sack on me but made her look like a model.
  4. stifle
    conceal or hide
    I gave him a death stare and he stifled a smile by blowing determinedly on his steaming bowl of niú ròu miàn.
  5. refined
    cultivated and genteel
    My name was my mom’s idea. When she was a young graduate, fresh out of Taiwan’s top university, she saw a commercial for Maybelline makeup products that sang, "Maybe it’s Maybelline.” She thought it sounded beautiful and refined, everything she hoped her future daughter would become.
  6. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    The smell of jasmine wafted beneath my nose as Celeste looked down and refilled teacups around the table before pouring her own.
  7. mimicry
    imitative behavior
    “Danny used to practice with May in her room," said my dad, bobbing his head in a terrible mimicry of our dance moves.
  8. incandescent
    emitting light as a result of being heated
    We have a small closet in the upstairs hallway filled with bulbs of all shapes and sizes. LED, fluorescent, halogen, neon, CFL, incandescent—he has them all.
  9. precariously
    in a manner affording no ease or reassurance
    “Yam, pass me that bulb,” my dad said, balanced precariously in the air, one foot on my bed and another on the bookshelf.
  10. conspiratorial
    relating to or characteristic of a secret plot or agreement
    Then he said with a slightly over-the-top conspiratorial tone, “Hey, last time I changed this bulb you told me about that boy, what’s his name? John, Joe, Jacob—”
  11. casually
    not methodically or according to plan
    He patted me on the back, then turned around at my bedroom door and said casually, “Your mom’s downstairs in the kitchen. I bet she’d love someone to talk to.”
  12. filial
    relating to or characteristic of or befitting an offspring
    I looked it up once, and the internet said it means “filial piety," which looks and sounds like gibberish to me. There really isn't a good translation. It's like obedient, respectful, caring, and every other desirable quality rolled into one intimidating word.
  13. convey
    serve as a means for expressing something
    My mom's pregnant hippo plopped itself beside me and stared up with unblinking disapproval; she let it convey all her disappointment as she kept cleaning.
  14. intact
    undamaged in any way
    As the minutes stretched forward, I peeked at the pot in my hands to make sure the Teflon was still intact before stacking it on the drying rack.
  15. rendition
    a performance of a musical composition or a dramatic role
    Danny snuck in while whispering lyrics that graduated into a dramatic rendition of Sam Smith’s song "Lay Me Down.”
  16. funky
    having an offensive or unpleasant smell
    I was only in kindergarten, so I don’t remember their visit at all, but Danny begged my parents for a Stanford sweatshirt, and he wore it so much it smelled funky even after it got washed.
  17. defer
    hold back to a later time
    He applied early last fall but got deferred.
  18. tinny
    thin, metallic, and displeasing in sound
    Tiya’s voice blasted through the tinny speakers of my phone as she sang Mimi’s song from Rent.
  19. muss
    make messy or untidy
    “We could watch Star Wars...” I said in my best tempting voice, but he just laughed and mussed up my hair.
  20. wispy
    thin and weak
    I wanted him to stay, but it was like trying to hold on to a cloud, its wispy mist slipping softly through my fingers.
  21. ashen
    pale from illness or emotion
    An ashen-faced police officer with dark circles under his eyes stood stiffly on the front step.
  22. gaffe
    a socially awkward or tactless act
    I stayed glued to my seat as my parents got up, my immobility a gaffe in my family's perfectly poised presentation.
  23. poised
    in full control of your faculties
    I stayed glued to my seat as my parents got up, my immobility a gaffe in my family's perfectly poised presentation.
  24. clamor
    make loud demands
    Our fridge was stuffed with meals stored in glass containers. Meals covered in tinfoil. Meals in takeout boxes. Meals clamoring for attention, piled one on top of the other.
  25. generic
    having no special or distinctive characteristics; unoriginal
    I padded over to the hallway closet and fumbled through my dad’s lightbulb collection. I didn’t know what was what, so I grabbed the most generic-looking bulb I could find, padded back to the bathroom, and felt my way over to the counter.
  26. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    Her face flushes and eyes widen as she remembers.
  27. indiscernible
    difficult or impossible to perceive
    Taylor stands awkwardly before mumbling something indiscernible and backing away.
  28. shingle
    cover with tiles used as siding or roofing
    Everything on campus is almost exactly the same. Buildings grouped by subject. Red- shingled rooftops with awnings for huddling under on rainy days.
  29. resplendent
    having great beauty
    I look up and there is Tiya, resplendent and glowing with a thick goddess braid circling her head and resting over her shoulder.
  30. faction
    a dissenting clique
    Lost between the warring factions of my mind, I retreat into my silent cave and don’t respond.
  31. back burner
    reduced priority
    She put catering on the back burner when Marc and Tiya were younger, and now she picks and chooses the gigs she wants.
  32. haphazard
    marked by great carelessness
    Her walls are a haphazard, colorful, layered canvas of patterns that make perfect Tiya sense.
  33. halting
    proceeding in a fragmentary, hesitant, or ineffective way
    I haven’t had the courage to ask about the party yet, and here’s an opening I can’t ignore. The words leave my mouth haltingly.
  34. contrite
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
    Marc can’t suppress a smile when he sees my contrite-looking face poke around the door.
  35. monochrome
    having or appearing to have only one color
    Marc’s room is the opposite of Tiya’s. Everything is on a monochrome grayscale color palette with wooden accents.
Created on Mon Sep 25 10:52:19 EDT 2023 (updated Mon Sep 25 13:40:10 EDT 2023)

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