Where Wolves Don't Die: Chapters 25-30

by Anton Treuer
In this novel, Ezra Cloud, a 15-year-old Ojibwe boy, is falsely suspected of arson and sent to stay with his grandfather during the investigation, where he learns more about his culture, his family, and his responsibilities.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-6, Chapters 7-12, Chapters 13-17, Chapters 18-24, Chapters 25-30
15 words 15 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    On colder nights, we could hear the lake ice crack and whine in eerie, ominous soundwaves.
  2. aback
    by surprise
    I was taken aback.
  3. buoyant
    characterized by liveliness and lightheartedness
    He seemed less closed and wounded now — buoyant even — and happy to share about them.
  4. fervid
    characterized by intense emotion
    Buster’s fervid barking provided little distraction.
  5. supine
    lying face upward
    Then in streaks of black, brown, and gray they were gone, leaving nothing but the blood-stained snow and me, climbing down from the jack pine to the supine form of my beloved Grandpa Liam, my heart sinking in my chest.
  6. laceration
    a torn ragged wound
    There was blood everywhere from gaping lacerations across his ribs and abdomen.
  7. irony
    incongruity between what might be expected and what occurs
    “That’s the irony, Emma. I brought Ezra there to save him, but he was the one who saved me.”
  8. condolence
    an expression of sympathy with another's grief
    People came from all the families in the community to offer condolences and put tobacco in the fire.
  9. plummet
    drop sharply
    “Yeah. Most birds do. But eagles have the most dramatic mating dance. They lock talons in mid-flight and plummet toward the earth, breaking apart right before they hit.”
  10. ruminate
    reflect deeply on a subject
    I filled her in on the search warrant and ruminated on what it all could mean.
  11. pallid
    pale, as of a person's complexion
    His milk-white face looked pallid and haggard, except for the wide, bright pink scar on the left side of his face.
  12. commotion
    a disorderly outburst or tumult
    I had almost forgotten about our unfinished conversation after the commotion with Matt Schroeder and everything Detective Williams said.
  13. accost
    approach and speak to someone aggressively or insistently
    When he accosted you the next day, I think he thought Nora held the door shut on purpose. But it was actually me trying to help them get out.
  14. verdant
    characterized by abundance of vegetation and green foliage
    Winter’s hand would soon release its grip and give way to the verdant growth and prosperity of spring.
  15. taciturn
    habitually reserved and uncommunicative
    Whether it was the ordeals we had been through with my mom, the fire, the bear, or Grandpa Liam’s passing — or Grandpa’s words echoing in my ear — I let my eyes see him in new light, traveling from his taciturn face to his muscular shoulders to his large, long, clumsy fingers.
Created on Fri Jul 04 04:17:25 EDT 2025 (updated Wed Aug 13 11:53:11 EDT 2025)

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