This section presents terms and phrases that are central to understanding the text and may present a challenge to the reader. Use this list to create a vocabulary quiz or worksheet, to prepare flashcards for a standardized test, or to inspire classroom word games and other group activities.

1. phantom (noun):

a ghost

“Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom.” (Chapter 1, Page 8)

2. the crash (noun):

informal term referring to the stock market crash of 1929 that signaled the beginning of the Great Depression

“The Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them hardest.” (Chapter 2, Page 21)

3. entailment (noun):

in legal terms, a settlement of the inheritance of property so that it remains within a family for several generations

“Entailment was only a part of Mr. Cunningham’s vexations. The acres not entailed were mortgaged to the hilt, and the little cash he made went to interest.” (Chapter 2, Page 21)

4. knot-hole (noun):

a hole in a tree trunk where a branch has decayed

“Some tinfoil was sticking in a knot-hole just above my eye level, winking at me in the afternoon sun.” (Chapter 4, Page 33)