As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow: Chapter 30–Epilogue

by Zoulfa Katouh
When war breaks out in Syria, eighteen-year-old pharmacy student Salama Kassab finds herself in a hospital tending to the wounded and struggling with visions of a life that might have been.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–10, Chapters 11–17, Chapters 18–29, Chapter 30–Epilogue
40 words 12 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cornea
    the transparent part of the eye covering the iris and pupil
    I don’t turn on the lights, instead letting my corneas and lenses adapt to the darkness.
  2. opaque
    not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy
    The white tube flickers, becoming almost translucent before going back to opaque.
  3. elate
    fill with high spirits
    I know he won’t always be in my life. But hearing him say it both saddens and elates me.
  4. furtively
    in a secretive manner
    I furtively steal glances at him.
  5. tendril
    something long, light, slender, and often curling
    My heart is hotter than the sun, its fiery tendrils spreading along my vascular system.
  6. reverence
    a feeling of profound respect for someone or something
    “Beautiful,” he murmurs. There’s reverence and awe in his tone.
  7. heady
    extremely exciting as if by alcohol or a narcotic
    I cup his face and his stubble pricks my palms, but I hardly feel it with the heady effect his kiss has on me.
  8. supplication
    a prayer asking God's help as part of a religious service
    “It means we need to pray. The FSA is doing everything they can, but we have no one but God now.”
    I close my eyes, my lips mouthing a supplication.
  9. invoke
    summon into action or bring into existence
    “What if the military breaches before the twenty-fifth?” I ask in a low voice lest I invoke the breach myself.
  10. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    I clamber to my feet, heart in my throat, and Kenan wakes with a gasp.
  11. macabre
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
    The patients behind us watch the macabre spectacle unfold with terrified eyes, not one of them daring to move.
  12. forsake
    leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
    Every ounce of energy forsakes me. I can’t think or move, and I’m too scared Kenan will be shot if I try anything.
  13. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    But once it steadies, I see the soldier is seething, all hints of his humor gone.
  14. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
    An angry welt swells on his forehead.
  15. drawl
    a slow speech pattern with prolonged vowels
    His voice is urgent, very different from his usual drawl.
  16. breach
    make an opening or gap in
    “If five soldiers from the military were able to breach the Free Syrian Army’s defenses, what does that say?”
  17. ashen
    pale from illness or emotion
    The other replays Samar’s ashen, bloodless face as I held her life hostage.
  18. muddle
    mix up or confuse
    “I should have known something wasn’t right when my calls to the FSA weren’t going through, but my mind was muddled after yesterday’s attack.”
  19. resilience
    the ability to recover readily from adversity or change
    “Other cities, like Ghouta, are setting up underground hospitals. We’ll build tunnels and mazes deep in the ground. They can bomb us all they want—we’ll never bow down.”
    His resilience humbles me.
  20. titter
    laugh nervously
    Lama titters and Yusuf can’t fight the smile on his lips.
  21. limbo
    a period of prolonged uncertainty
    Usually my neighborhood exists in a repetitive limbo.
  22. despondent
    without or almost without hope
    The wind carries the children’s tentative laughter and cries through the despondent ruins.
  23. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    Kenan tilts his head, trying to muster any ounce of pride.
  24. billow
    rise and move, as in waves
    Am steps on the gas and the tires screech, dust billowing behind as we race off.
  25. leer
    look suggestively or obliquely
    The soldier leers and Kenan’s face turns as white as a sheet.
  26. deftly
    with dexterity; in a dexterous manner
    He whips around and throws my life jacket at me. I catch it deftly.
  27. discreet
    not easily noticeable
    I quickly go through my bag and take out one tablet, pass it to him discreetly.
  28. relent
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    I relent. He really is just tired.
  29. angst
    an acute but unspecific feeling of anxiety
    Since the beginning of time, I have awoken in people’s hearts. I’ve been given many names in countless languages. In yours, I’m Khawf. In English, Fear. In German, Angst.
  30. heed
    pay close attention to
    Humans have listened to my whispers, heeded my council, and tasted my power.
  31. humble
    cause to be unpretentious
    You’ve overcome so many struggles and I’m humbled by them.
  32. monochrome
    having or appearing to have only one color
    Syria was gray. The destroyed buildings and roads. The ashy faces of the starving. Sometimes the skies. Our life literally became monochrome, alternating with a harsh red.
  33. stupor
    a state of being half-awake
    A scream pierces the air, and it wakes me from my stupor.
  34. trachea
    a tube that conveys inhaled air from the larynx to the lungs
    My heart seizes, my trachea constricts, and my extremities are so cold they burn.
  35. minaret
    a slender tower with balconies, especially on a mosque
    The athan rings loud from the minarets and people gather for prayer in the spacious, intricately designed mosques that have been standing there for centuries.
  36. splay
    widen or spread apart
    “You’re so beautiful,” I coo at a baby daisy shyly splaying out her petals against the scars on my hands.
  37. diaspora
    the dispersion of something that was originally localized
    Families with no relatives living in diaspora are usually torn apart, scattered over a few countries depending on which accepts them.
  38. scour
    examine minutely
    Daily, I scour Facebook and Twitter pages that post regular updates on the prisoners in the Syrian detention facilities that have been released, as well as those that have information on prisoners still inside.
  39. garner
    acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions
    After arriving in Berlin, Kenan picked up where he left off with his activism and, after a few more videos, he began to garner the world’s attention.
  40. croon
    sing softly
    An English song I don’t know croons out.
Created on Wed Jan 03 17:23:08 EST 2024 (updated Thu Jan 04 12:36:48 EST 2024)

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