[영어원서] Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

The Giver 로 유명한 로이스 라우리 (Lois Lowry)의 작품이고 뉴베리 수상작입니다. 다소 무거울 수 있는 주제이지만 아이의 시점으로 너무 무겁지 않게 그려냈습니다.내용은 중학교레벨에게 적당할 내용입니다. 독일군에 점령당한 덴마크의 열살 소녀의 시선을 통해 이야기가 전개되기 때문에 당시의 상황이 아주 생생하면서도 아이의 시점을 잘 유지하고 있기에 꽤 유쾌하면서도 앞으로 어떻게 펼쳐질지 모르는 긴박한 상황도 아주 흥미롭게 이야기되어집니다. 

단어를 좀  늘려야 싶을때 쓰기 아주 좋은 교재라고 할만큼 고급단어가 등장하면서도, 동시에 모르는 단어를 굳이 찾아보지않아도 단어의 뜻을 유추하기 쉽게 텍스투 클루가 잘 되어있고 해당 단어의 반복도 잦더라고요. 동시에 당시의 역사적 배경, 상황등을 알 수 있어서 역사적인 지식도 늘릴 수 있어 어른들이 읽기도 좋은 것 같아요. 

소설 배경을 조금 소개해보자면,  2차 세계대전 당시 독일군에 점령당한 덴마크는 유대인들이 한 두명씩 잡혀가기 시작합니다. 10살 소녀 앤마리 (Annemarie) 가족은 유대인인 옆집 친구 엘렌(Ellen)의 가족을 돕게됩니다. 열살 소녀가 옆집 친구 엘렌을 독일군들사이에서 돕는다는게 상상이 안가시겠지만, 앤마리는 친구를 사랑하고 아끼는 마음 하나로 이 어려운 일을 해냅니다. 

소설의 제목인  Number the Stars는 구약성경 시편 147편에 나온 구절인데요.  소설에서는 친구 Ellen이 차고 있는 the Star of David(별모양) 목걸이를 유대인을 수색하는 독일군에게 들키지 않도록 앤마리가 손으로 끊어 숨기며 친구를 위험한 순간 구하게 됩니다.

Ellen... lifted her dark hair away from the thin gold chain she wore around her neck-the chain that held the Star of David. 엘렌이 짙은 머리카락을 들어올리니 엘렌 목주면으로 다윗의 별모양이 메달린 얇은 금 목걸이가 드러난다.

Annemarie relaxed the clenched fingers of her right hand, which still clutched Ellen's necklace. She looked down, and saw that she had imprinted the Star of David into her palm. (p.49) 앤마리는 꼭 쥔 오른 손에 힘을 뺀다. 그녀의 오른 손에는 엘렌의 목걸이가 꼭 쥐어져있다. 내려다보니, 손바닥에는 다윗의 별모양 자국이 나 있었다.

이쯤되면 소설의 제목이자, 커버에 등장하는  The Star of David가 아주 중요하다는 느낌이 드시겠죠? 이 문양은  당시 핍박을 받고 흔터진 유대인을 의미하는 상징물이었죠.

The star of David:

  소설속 가짜 장례식에서도 핍박받는 유대인을 위로하는 성경구절이 인용되는데요. 

It is he who heals the broken in spirit 여호와께서 아픈 영혼을 치유하고

and binds up their wounds, 상처를 치유하고,

he who numbers the stars one by one (p.87) 여호와께서 하나하나 별을 헤아린다. 

이 성경구절이 인용되고 책의 제목은 바로 이부분에서 따왔는데요.  당시 핍박박던 유대인의 아픔을 하나하나 별로 헤아리신다는 부분과, 엘렌이 차고 있던 유대인을 상징하던 The Star of David을 엘렌이 직접 숨기면서 엘렌을 돕게되는 장면을 담고 있는 제목이죠.  소설의 가장 중요한 핵심을 나타내주고 있습니다. 

 

소설 read aloud 유투버 추천:

 

 

단어정리:

단어정리

 

CH 1-3
stocky
lanky
plod	터덜터덜 걷다	=trudge
prod	(뾰족한 걸로) 찌르다
contempt
sneer	비웃다 n. 비웃음
scoff	조롱하다, 빈정대다	mock in a scornfull way
edgy	초조한
hoodlum	불량배
impassive	무표정의
trousseau	혼숫감
dawdle	꾸물대다
scamper	날쌔게 움직이다
kroner	크로너 돈
creak	삐걱거리다
clatter	쨍강하는 소리가 나다
a swastika	나치문양
a curfew	통행금지시간
ridged	이랑모양이 만들어진

4-5
glower	인상을 쓰다
exasperated	짜증나서, 화가나서
sputter	씩씩대며 화를 내다
wail	소리내어 (엉엉) 울다 불평하다
belligerently	싸우자는듯이, 한판해보겠다는듯이
Sabbath	안실일
synogogue	유대인 교회당,
dubiously	미심쩍은듯, 불확실한
imperious	명령하듯
haul	끌고가다
stalk	쫓아다니며 괴롭히다
holstered pistol	총집에 넣은 총
peer	잘 안보이는데 보려고 하다
stumble	발에 걸리다, 헛디디다
ill at ease	불편하게
wail	엉엉 소리내어 울다
glare	노려보다
grimly	단호하게, 엄하게	grim 단호한, 엄한
wince	움찍하다
scornfully	빈정대듯
wispy	숱이 없는, 엉기성기 엮은
unwavering	지속적인

5
imperious	고압적인
haul	질질 끌고 가다, 강제로 끌고 가다
holstered pistol	권총집에 든 권총
peer	(잘 안보여서) 유심히 보다, 눈여겨보다
stumble	발이 채이다, 헛디디다
ill at ease	불편해하는
wail	소리내어 울다
glare	노려보다
grimly	단호하게, 엄하게	grim 엄한 (표정의)
wince	움찔하고 놀라다
scornfully	빈정대듯, 비웃
wispy	숱이 없는, 엉기성기엮
unwavering	지속적인, 변함없는, 확고한

6-9
tentatively	망설이며
gaze	가만히 응시하다
in exasperation	짜증나서
prance	껑충 껑충 뛰어다니다
gnarled tree	가지가 꺽이고 와일드하게 자란 나무
hazy	안개가 자욱한	haze 몽롱함
flower-sprigged	꽃무늬의
ruefully	애석하다는듯이, 아쉽다는 듯이, 속상하다는듯이
specter	유령, 망령
dismay	실망 경악
casket	관
a grouchy	투덜이
a scold	잔소리꾼

9-11
deftly	능수능란하게
udder	유두
hearse	영구차
wryly	씁쓸하게	wry, 씁쓸한, 비꼬는
wail	n. 엉엉 소리내어 울기, 엉엉, 응애응애
weep	눈믈을 흘리다
solemn-faced	침통한 표정의, 엄숙한 표정의
pay one's respects	(장례식에) 얼굴을 비추다, (직접 찾아뵙고) 예의를 표하다,
condescending	잘난척하는
put out	끄다 =extinguish
know    ~ by heart	외우다
rummage through	뒤지다
shabby	다 낡고 허름한, 추레한
misshapen	이상하게 생긴
ragged	누더기가  된

12-
trip	발을 헛디디다
crumple	구기다
drunkard	취한 사람
clumsy	칠칠맞은
hobble	다리를 절뚝이다
hem/don	기우다
brusque	무뚝뚝한, 퉁명스러운
taut	팽팽한
snap
withering	사람의 기를 죽이는, 위축시키는
insolently	건방지게, 무례하게
implore	애원하다
cuastic	비꼬는
fling	던지다
strident	귀에 거슬리는
din	소음
quaver	(무섭거나 떨려서 목소리가) 떨리다
cast	깁스
wary	조심스러운, 경계하는
bleak	암울한

https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/306071

"Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, Chapters 1–4 - Vocabulary List | Vocabulary.com

 

1.  civilized
   marked by refinement in taste and manners
   Can’t we just walk, like civilized people?
2.  lanky
   tall and thin and having long slender limbs
   She was a stocky ten-year-old, unlike lanky Annemarie.

   "Lanky" is an antonym of "stocky" ("having a short and solid form or stature"). In addition to this physical contrast, Annemarie has silvery blond hair while Ellen has dark pigtails; Annemarie is Christian while Ellen is Jewish; Annemarie excels in running while Ellen excels in drama. But as ten-year-old Danish girls who live in the same apartment building, Ellen and Annemarie are best friends whose differences strengthen their relationship.
3.  plead
   appeal or request earnestly
   “We have to practice for the athletic meet on Friday—I know I’m going to win the girls’ race this week. I was second last week, but I’ve been practicing every day. Come on, Ellen,” Annemarie pleaded, eyeing the distance to the next corner of the Copenhagen street. “Please?”
4.  stern
   strict and demanding
   “Halte!” the soldier ordered in a stern voice.

   Because the adjective "stern" is describing the voice in which the soldier shouts the German word for "Halt" the chosen definition is the best fit. But "stern" also means "of a strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect" (which is how the soldiers look) and "not to be moved by entreaty" (which is how most of the German soldiers are supposed to act, but the street soldiers are less experienced, so one is softened by Kirsti's babyish behavior and prettiness).
5.  plod
   walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
   Far back, little Kirsti was plodding along, her face in a pout because the girls hadn’t waited for her.
6.  glare
   look at with a fixed or angry gaze
   That meant two helmets, two sets of cold eyes glaring at her, and four tall shiny boots planted firmly on the sidewalk, blocking her path to home.
7.  contempt
   lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
   His Danish was very poor. Three years, Annemarie thought with contempt. Three years they’ve been in our country, and still they can’t speak our language.
8.  sneer
   smile contemptuously
   “Are you a good student?” the soldier asked. He seemed to be sneering.
9.  defiantly
   in a rebellious manner
   She reached down for Kirsti’s hand, but Kirsti, always stubborn, refused it and put her hands on her hips defiantly.
10.  obstinate
    marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
    Stand still, Kirsti, Annemarie ordered silently, praying that somehow the obstinate five-year-old would receive the message.

    "Obstinate" also means "resistant to guidance or discipline"—both definitions fit Kirsti at the moment, because she is unwilling to yield to the authority of the soldiers and she is resistant to Annemarie's attempt to take her hand to keep her still and quiet.
11.  hoodlum
    an aggressive and violent criminal
    And don’t run. You look like hoodlums when you run.
12.  trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    “Are you going to tell your mother?” Ellen asked Annemarie as they trudged together up the stairs.
13.  occupation
    the control of a country by forces of a foreign power
    There had been no real coffee in Copenhagen since the beginning of the Nazi occupation.
14.  incident
    a single distinct event
    She told her mother and Mrs. Rosen of the incident, trying to make it sound humorous and unimportant.

    "Incident" also means "a public disturbance"—while Annemarie is connecting to the chosen definition in order to reassure the worried mothers that their encounter with the soldiers is a single distinct event that would not happen again, the soldiers saw their running as a public disturbance that made them look like hoodlums.
15.  occasionally
    now and then or here and there
    De Frie Danske—The Free Danes—was an illegal newspaper; Peter Neilsen brought it to them occasionally, carefully folded and hidden among ordinary books and papers, and Mama always burned it after she and Papa had read it.
16.  sabotage
    a deliberate act of destruction or disruption
    But Annemarie heard Mama and Papa talk, sometimes at night, about the news they received that way: news of sabotage against the Nazis, bombs hidden and exploded in the factories that produced war materials, and industrial railroad lines damaged so that the goods couldn’t be transported.
17.  determined
    characterized by great firmness of purpose
    The Resistance fighters were Danish people—no one knew who, because they were very secret—who were determined to bring harm to the Nazis however they could.
18.  impassive
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
    She glanced through the window, down to the street corner where the soldiers stood, their faces impassive beneath the metal helmets.
19.  suitable
    worthy of being chosen
    He was not like fairy tale kings, who seemed to stand on balconies giving orders to subjects, or who sat on golden thrones demanding to be entertained and looking for suitable husbands for their daughters.
20.  solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    Thinking of Lise, her solemn, lovely sister, always made her sad.
21.  trousseau
    clothes and linens that a bride brings to a marriage
    Mama had been crocheting that evening three years ago: the lacy edging of a pillowcase, part of Lise’s trousseau.
22.  intricate
    having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate
    Her fingers moved rapidly, turning the thin white thread into an intricate narrow border.
23.  embroider
    decorate with needlework
    In the blue carved trunk in the corner of this bedroom—Annemarie could see its shape even in the dark—were folded Lise’s pillowcases with their crocheted edges, her wedding dress with its hand- embroidered neckline, unworn, and the yellow dress that she had worn and danced in, with its full skirt flying, at the party celebrating her engagement to Peter.
24.  dawdle
    take one's time; proceed slowly
    Kirsti dawdled just behind them or scampered ahead, never out of their sight.
25.  ration
    restrict the consumption of a relatively scarce commodity
    Like the other families in their building, the Johansens had opened the old chimney and installed a little stove to use for heat when they could find coal to burn. Mama used it too, sometimes, for cooking, because electricity was rationed now.
26.  haughty
    having or showing arrogant superiority
    “I did not!” Kirsti said haughtily from the bedroom doorway. “I never, ever did that!”
27.  unruly
    unable to be governed or controlled
    He was a tall teenager with thick glasses, stooped shoulders, and unruly hair.
28.  torment
    treat cruelly
    It is their way of tormenting. For some reason, they want to torment Jewish people.
29.  resistance
    a secret group organized to overthrow a government
    Oh, there were the soldiers; that was true. And the courageous Resistance leaders, who sometimes lost their lives; that was true, too.
30.  sprawl
    sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
    Alone in the apartment while Mama was out shopping with Kirsti, Annemarie and Ellen were sprawled on the living room floor playing with paper dolls.
31.  sophisticated
    having worldly knowledge and refinement
    “All right, Scarlett, I’m coming,” Ellen replied in a sophisticated voice.
32.  glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    The door opened and Kirsti stomped in, her face tear-stained and glowering.
33.  exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    Mama followed her with an exasperated look and set a package down on the table.
34.  disdainfully
    without respect
    “But you mustn’t tell anyone that they’re fish. I don’t want anyone to know.” She took her new shoes, holding them disdainfully, and put them on a chair.
35.  designate
    assign a name or title to
    Annemarie grinned and walked her Scarlett toward the chair that Ellen had designated as Tivoli.
36.  scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    “Silly,” Annemarie scoffed. “You never saw the fireworks.”
37.  belligerently
    in the manner of someone eager to fight
    “I did too,” she said belligerently.
38.  submerged
    beneath the surface of the water
    It had made Annemarie feel sad and proud, too, to picture the tall, aging king, perhaps with tears in his blue eyes, as he looked at the remains of his small navy, which now lay submerged and broken in the harbor.
39.  dismay
    the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
    “But, Mama,” Annemarie said, in dismay, “it’s their New Year. They were going to have a celebration at home! Ellen told me that her mother managed to get a chicken someplace, and she was going to roast it—their first roast chicken in a year or more!”
40.  dubiously
    in a doubtful manner
    “Mama will tell you a special story tonight,” her mother said. “One just for you.”
    “About a king?” Kirsti asked dubiously.

https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/306075

"Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, Chapters 5–8 - Vocabulary List | Vocabulary.com

 

1.  imperious
   having or showing arrogant superiority
   Ellen stood on tiptoe again, and made an imperious gesture with her arm.

   Unlike the haughty or disdainful attitude of Kirsti or the sneering, scornful, and contemptuous attitudes of the soldiers (all the adjectives are semi-synonymous), Ellen is neither a somewhat spoiled five-year-old who doesn't know any better nor an armed invader of a country whose king had surrendered. Rather, Ellen is joking with Annemarie and repeating a role she'd performed in a school play.
2.  intone
   speak carefully, as with rising and falling pitch
   “I am the Dark Queen,” she intoned dramatically. “I have come to command the night!”
3.  contented
   satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are
   Annemarie felt completely safe here in her own home, with her parents in the next room and her best friend asleep beside her. She yawned contentedly and closed her eyes.
4.  abruptly
   quickly and without warning
   It was hours later, but still dark, when she was awakened abruptly by the pounding on the apartment door.
5.  stalk
   walk stiffly
   Annemarie heard the soldier stalk across the living room toward the kitchen.
6.  sliver
   (figurative) a small or narrow piece or slice
   From her hiding place in the narrow sliver of open doorway, she could see the heavy uniformed man, a holstered pistol at his waist, in the entrance to the kitchen, peering in toward the sink.
7.  urgent
   compelling immediate action
   “Ellen,” she whispered urgently, “take your necklace off!”
8.  desperately
   with great urgency
   Desperately she began trying to unhook the tiny clasp.
9.  frantic
   excessively agitated; distraught with violent emotion
   “I can’t get it open!” Ellen said frantically.
10.  crumple
    gather something into small wrinkles or folds
    As the door opened and light flooded into the bedroom, she crumpled it into her hand and closed her fingers tightly.
11.  grim
    harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance
    The officer stared at them grimly.
12.  wince
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    Suddenly he grabbed a handful of Ellen’s hair. Ellen winced.
13.  scornful
    expressing extreme contempt
    He laughed scornfully. “You have a blond child sleeping in the other room. And you have this blond daughter—” He gestured toward Annemarie with his head. “Where did you get the dark-haired one?”
14.  delicate
    marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique
    Mama had written, in her delicate handwriting, the name of each baby daughter across the bottom of those photographs.
15.  unwavering
    marked by firm determination or resolution
    “Lise Margrete,” he read finally, and stared at Ellen for a long, unwavering moment.
16.  clench
    squeeze together tightly
    Annemarie relaxed the clenched fingers of her right hand, which still clutched Ellen’s necklace.
17.  imprint
    mark or stamp with or as if with pressure
    She looked down, and saw that she had imprinted the Star of David into her palm.
18.  tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    Ellen and Annemarie both smiled tentatively. For a moment their fear was eased.
19.  suspect
    regard as untrustworthy
    If only I go with the girls, it will be safer. They are unlikely to suspect a woman and her children.
20.  reluctantly
    with a certain degree of unwillingness
    Annemarie watched his face and knew that he was struggling with the decision. Finally he nodded, reluctantly.
21.  distort
    twist and press out of shape
    One of them had something stuck in his teeth; he probed with his tongue and distorted his own face.
22.  massive
    imposing in size or bulk or solidity
    She had been talking about Kronborg Castle ever since they had seen it, sprawling massive and ancient, beside the sea, from the train.
23.  prance
    move or step in a lively, spirited, or showy way
    But Kirsti had pranced away, skipping along the sidewalk.
24.  outskirts
    area relatively far from the center, as of a city or town
    She turned, leading the way along a tiny, twisting street, heading toward the outskirts of the village.
25.  wispy
    thin and weak
    A bird’s nest, wispy with straw, was half hidden in the corner where the roof met the wall above a bedroom window.
26.  gnarled
    old and twisted and covered in lines
    Nearby, a gnarled tree was still speckled with a few apples now long past ripe.
27.  apparently
    seemingly; as far as one can tell
    It pretended to ignore the girls, but looked back often to be certain that they were still there, apparently pleased to have playmates.
28.  hazy
    filled or abounding with fog or mist
    They squinted into the hazy distance, as if they might see Swedish children standing there and looking back.
29.  sprig
    ornament made of or resembling a spray of leaves or flowers
    Ellen touched her neck after she had put on Annemarie’s flower- sprigged nightgown, which Mama had packed.
30.  applique
    sew on as a decoration
    “I wish I knew where my parents are,” Ellen said in a small voice as she outlined one of the appliquéd birds with her finger.
31.  ruefully
    in a manner expressing pain or sorrow
    But it wasn’t a joke at all, though Mama laughed ruefully.
32.  specter
    a mental representation of some haunting experience
    Suddenly, here in this sunlit kitchen, with cream in a pitcher and a bird in the apple tree beside the door—and out in the Kattegat, where Uncle Henrik, surrounded by bright blue sky and water, pulled in his nets filled with shiny silver fish—suddenly the specter of guns and grim-faced soldiers seemed nothing more than a ghost story, a joke with which to frighten children in the dark.
33.  bouquet
    an arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present
    The girls picked armfuls of wildflowers dried brown, now, by the early fall chill, and arranged them in pots and pitchers until the table tops were crowded with their bouquets.
34.  mock
    imitating something; not genuine
    Henrik was grinning at her, shaking his head in mock dismay.
35.  casket
    box in which a corpse is buried or cremated
    There has been a death, and tonight your Great-aunt Birte will be resting in the living room, in her casket, before she is buried tomorrow.

https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/306077

"Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, Chapters 9–13 - Vocabulary List | Vocabulary.com

1.  poised
   marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
   The God of Thunder sat alertly poised nearby, watching.

   "The God of Thunder" is an epithet ("descriptive phrase") for Thor. A part of Denmark's Norse heritage, "Thor" here is Kirsti's name for a kitten. Annemarie finds that funny because the kitten looks like it'd run from thunder. There could also be a symbolic meaning since Thor is seen as the protector of humanity, and the kitten appears in scenes leading up to Peter and Uncle Henrik helping Jews to escape the Nazis.
2.  fleck
   a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
   Flecks of dust and straw floated there, in the light.
3.  deftly
   in an agile manner
   His strong hands continued, deftly pressing like a pulse against the cow.
4.  frothy
   emitting or filled with bubbles
   The bucket was half full, frothy on the top.
5.  wryly
   in a humorously sarcastic or mocking manner
   “It is Great-aunt Birte, who never was.” He smiled wryly.
6.  gleaming
   bright with a steady but subdued shining
   The gleaming wooden casket rested on supports in the center of the living room and was surrounded by the fragile, papery flowers that Annemarie and Ellen had picked that afternoon.
7.  hearse
   a vehicle for carrying a coffin to a church or a cemetery
   The hearse had gone, and the solemn-faced men who had carried the casket indoors had gone with it, after speaking quietly to Uncle Henrik.
8.  relieve
   free from a burden, evil, or distress
   “Good. Here they come,” he said in a low, relieved voice.
9.  sheer
   so thin as to transmit light
   She was startled from her half sleep by the sudden sweep of headlights, through the sheer curtains and across the room, as a car pulled up outside.
10.  recurring
    coming back
    She heard—as if in a recurring nightmare—the pounding on the door, and then the heavy, frighteningly familiar staccato of boots on the kitchen floor.
11.  staccato
    a series of sharp, distinct sounds
    She heard—as if in a recurring nightmare—the pounding on the door, and then the heavy, frighteningly familiar staccato of boots on the kitchen floor.
12.  condescending
    characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance
    He placed one gloved hand on its lid. “Poor Great-aunt Birte,” he said, in a condescending voice.

    "Condescension" means "showing arrogance by patronizing those considered inferior" or "a communication that indicates lack of respect"—both fit the action and attitude of the officer (whose higher rank would make more people seem inferior to him), who believes he can barge into a funeral, who is being disrespectful with his hand on the lid, and who is expressing fake sadness for a woman he never knew and suspects does not exist.
13.  stagger
    walk as if unable to control one's movements
    With a swift motion the Nazi officer slapped Mama across her face. She staggered backward, and a white mark on her cheek darkened.
14.  extinguish
    put out, as of fires, flames, or lights
    He relit the extinguished candle.
15.  mantel
    a shelf that projects from the wall above a fireplace
    Then he reached for the old Bible that had always been there, on the mantel.
16.  bind
    wrap around with something so as to cover or enclose
    It is he who heals the broken in spirit
    and binds up their wounds,
    he who numbers the stars one by one.
17.  gradual
    proceeding in small stages
    Gradually they each began to relax.
18.  rummage
    search haphazardly
    After a moment of rummaging through the folded things, he found a smaller winter jacket, and handed it to Ellen.
19.  shabby
    showing signs of wear and tear
    Never had Ellen worn anything so shabby and old.
20.  assemble
    collect in one place
    He looked around the room, at the assembled people now dressed in the bulky winter clothing, and then motioned to Mr. Rosen, who followed him to the hall.
21.  protruding
    extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
    Annemarie could see it protruding from Mr. Rosen’s pocket when he returned to the room and sat down again.
22.  commotion
    a disorderly outburst or tumult
    There was a slight commotion outside the door, and Mama went quickly to look out.
23.  stumble
    miss a step and fall or nearly fall
    The old man stumbled. But Peter helped him up.
24.  misshapen
    so badly formed or distorted as to be ugly
    Annemarie looked at the Rosens, sitting there, wearing the misshapen, ill-fitting clothing, holding ragged blankets folded in their arms, their faces drawn and tired.
25.  decent
    sufficient for the purpose
    And Mr. Rosen, sitting in the big chair in their living room, studying his thick books, correcting papers, adjusting his glasses, looking up now and then to complain good-naturedly about the lack of decent light.
26.  horizon
    the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
    But it was not right, the pale light at the horizon—it should be dark still.
27.  falter
    walk unsteadily
    Her foot caught the loose step and she faltered for a moment, righting herself, then dashed across the ground to the place where her mother lay.
28.  proper
    marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
    “Your proper mama, crawling inch by inch! I probably looked like a drunkard!”
29.  hobble
    walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury
    She hobbled, leaning heavily on her daughter, pausing again and again, toward the house.
30.  stricken
    affected by something overwhelming
    Her face was stricken.

    Mama's ankle is grievously affected by a swelling, and her stricken face could be partly due to physical pain, but it is mostly because of her realization that the fallen packet means that the escape could be doomed.