Compound Fracture: Chapters 40-46

by Andrew Joseph White
In this novel, trans teen Miles Abernathy survives an attempted murder and finds himself caught up in a century-old blood feud while also being haunted by his own ancestor.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapter 1-7, Chapter 8-10, Chapter 11-14, Chapter 15-22, Chapter 23-26, Chapter 27-30, Chapter 31-35, Chapter 36-39, Chapter 40-46, Chapter 47-61
25 words 14 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. scattershot
    covering a wide range in a haphazard way
    The vibe is what I imagine a basement show is like: chairs and tables spread out scattershot, people standing by the stage to chat, a few old couches pressed up against the outer walls.
  2. ramble
    an aimless walk
    “That was so bad yesterday,” they say, immediately falling into a ramble, collecting bottles from a FREE WATER cooler as they pass by it.
  3. grim
    harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance
    At the back of the room, our grown-ups are chatting in the door to the kitchen; arms are folded, expressions are grim.
  4. wheelhouse
    a person’s area of interest, skill, or expertise
    “This is a little out of my wheelhouse,” I admit.
  5. noggin
    an informal term for a human head
    “A few scars right on your noggin that’ll get you looked at funny for the rest of your life,” Dallas says.
  6. collective
    done by or characteristic of individuals acting together
    This is what he wanted. Community. Collective strength.
  7. vantage
    the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
    The stage ain’t that much taller, not really, but it still gives me a vantage point of the Red Holler, so that I can see every soul in the building — Mom and Dad, Michael and Amber, everyone I’ve grown up with and lived with all my life.
  8. placid
    calm and free from disturbance
    Amber’s face remains perfectly placid.
  9. gutsy
    showing courage and determination in the face of difficulty
    “Awful gutsy,” Sheriff Davies says.
  10. establishment
    a public or private structure with buildings and equipment
    “I think,” Sheriff Davies says, “you should tell all the folks in your establishment the party’s over.”
  11. venue
    the scene of any event or action
    Amber says, “We have the proper permits for an entertainment venue. Would you like to see them? They’re right in the office, I can grab them for you.”
  12. revoke
    cancel officially
    But if it ain’t worth it, we can revoke that authority.
  13. ram
    strike or drive against with a heavy impact
    But the door to the front of the restaurant won’t budge — Dallas rams themself against it but the broom handle holds fast, and they only manage to hurt themself.
  14. stampede
    a headlong rush of people on a common impulse
    The drum of feet and, I don’t know, the sounds of — a stampede?
  15. hypothermia
    subnormal body temperature
    What always stood out most to me was how, after the fire is put out, it’s not all that unusual to succumb to hypothermia.
  16. misfortune
    a state resulting from unfavorable outcomes
    If Noah Davies killed my goddamn dog, gutted her because she had the misfortune to be mine —
    I say, “What did you do.”
  17. severed
    detached by cutting
    When the Baldwin-Felts agents and that damned sheriff couldn’t get the union to break — when Saint Abernathy took Joseph Davenport down into the mines and started sending up severed fingers — they retaliated.
  18. raze
    tear down so as to make flat with the ground
    They razed houses and shops.
  19. hoarse
    deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness
    Sounds like she’s going hoarse.
  20. lash out
    attack, especially in speech or writing
    But it reminds me of Cooper telling me he’d hit my dad, lashed out at one of the only adults who’d been able to do anything for him, was willing to get close enough anymore.
  21. fixation
    an unhealthy preoccupation with something or someone
    And then Dad’s gaze sliding away at every opportunity, the way he works with his hands, his fixations and the million things in his head.
  22. sheepishly
    in a manner showing embarrassment or shame
    Dallas finishes the dishes and sheepishly lingers in the kitchen as Lady tries to herd everyone together.
  23. ramshackle
    in poor or broken-down condition
    And a few days later, the ramshackle union — cut off from the world by the coal operators, struggling to get word out to the United Mine Workers of America, all returning correspondence seized and burned — would give a rifle to every man that wanted one.
  24. rut
    a settled and monotonous routine that is hard to escape
    I know the answer, but I want to get them out of their rut.
  25. minutia
    a small or minor detail
    My attempt to reach out with the minutia of political bullshit works.
Created on Wed Jun 04 08:34:25 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Jun 10 18:24:35 EDT 2025)

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