Across So Many Seas: Chapters 41-47

by Ruth Behar
This novel tells the stories of four girls from the same Jewish family at different times, one living in 1492, another in 1923, another in 1961, and another in 2003.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapter 1-7, Chapter 8-13, Chapter 14-19, Chapter 20-26, Chapter 27-33, Chapter 34-40, Chapter 41-47, Chapter 48-54, Chapter 55-61
25 words 16 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. station
    assign to a facility equipped for a particular purpose
    You both will be stationed in Melena del Sur,” Carmen announces the next day.
  2. scenery
    the appearance of a place
    The ride to the countryside is bumpy, but the scenery is pretty.
  3. assume
    take to be the case or to be true
    Teresita whispers to me, “There’s still so much prejudice in Cuba, and we’ve just had a revolution! Why do they assume Black people and white people need to have brigadistas of their same color?”
  4. literate
    able to read and write
    “Don’t worry. I can handle her. We’ll show them we’re great teachers! Melena del Sur will be the first territory where everyone is literate!”
  5. fend
    try to manage without help
    “They left the two of us viejitos here in the countryside to fend for ourselves.”
  6. comrade
    a fellow soldier or companion in danger or difficulty
    We’ve been instructed to call the women by that word, to think of them as comrades, and to call the men compañeros.
  7. threadbare
    thin and tattered with age
    It’s odd to think I will sleep in a house with total strangers, but Gloria does her best to make me feel at home, stuffing a threadbare pillowcase with mint and other herbs that she says are calming.
  8. plantain
    starchy banana-like fruit
    Later Gloria prepares a meal of roasted yuca, malanga, and plantains in the cooking pit, and we eat in the shade of the mango trees.
  9. velvety
    smooth and soft to sight or hearing or touch or taste
    When the night turns velvety dark, Alfredo says, “You must see our stars,” and he leads me and Gloria a few steps away from the trees.
  10. sequin
    a small disk of shiny material used to decorate clothing
    The stars glitter like sequins in the sky.
  11. gratitude
    a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
    The sky has never seemed so wide, the stars so close, my heart so filled with gratitude to all those who came before me and gave me life.
  12. allowance
    an amount granted, as during a given period
    They even gave us each a small allowance in case we need to buy anything.
  13. crow
    utter shrill sounds like a rooster
    I awaken at dawn to the crowing of the roosters instead of the sounds of Havana’s noisy streets.
  14. confident
    having or marked by assurance
    I seem more confident already, just from having spent a night on my own with strangers.
  15. pasture
    a field covered with grass and suitable for grazing
    “Let’s get the chores done in the house and let Alfredo check on the corn and the sugar in the fields and take the cows and goats to pasture, and then we’ll get started.”
  16. respectful
    exhibiting an attitude of admiration or esteem
    We were taught in the training camp to be respectful of our hosts and help them with their work.
  17. considerate
    showing concern for the rights and feelings of others
    Maybe they’re being polite because Teresita and I are there, but still it’s nice to see them being considerate of each other.
  18. lull
    a pause during which things are calm
    As I sit munching the sweet fibers, I fall into a hazy lull and almost forget I’m supposed to be teaching.
  19. mangle
    destroy or injure severely
    His right hand is worse than the left, mangled into a knot.
  20. worthless
    lacking in usefulness or value
    “I started as a little boy. My father wouldn’t let me go to school; he said it was a waste of time. Now my hands are worthless, except to do the rough work I do here in the countryside.”
  21. sincere
    open and genuine; not deceitful
    That’s who I am, a sincere man from where the palm trees grow.
  22. flutter
    flap the wings rapidly or fly with flapping movements
    How fast it flutters its wings as it hovers in the air.
  23. giddy
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
    It’s such a wonder of nature, and we are all giddy with joy at the sight of it!
  24. jalopy
    a car that is old and unreliable
    His cousin, Rubén, borrowed a broken-down jalopy.
  25. unison
    the act of occurring together or simultaneously
    They nod their heads in unison, and when Pepa says, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of Teresita; we already love her like a sister,” I have to hold back my tears.
Created on Thu May 01 09:31:26 EDT 2025 (updated Fri May 02 19:06:20 EDT 2025)

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