ProtrudeProtrudeHis face was broad and craggy His face was broad and craggy

from the sun, with salty whiskers from the sun, with salty whiskers and a lower jaw that and a lower jaw that protrudedprotruded

slightly, making him look prouder slightly, making him look prouder than he felt. P.2than he felt. P.2

ImminentImminent

Had he known his death was Had he known his death was imminentimminent, he might have gone , he might have gone

somewhere else. P. 4somewhere else. P. 4

SolventSolvent

One of the shop workers, a lanky, One of the shop workers, a lanky, bony-cheeked young man named bony-cheeked young man named Domingues, was by theDomingues, was by the solvent solvent

sink, wiping grease off a wheel. P. 5sink, wiping grease off a wheel. P. 5

OptimisticOptimistic

Eddie wondered how the guy could Eddie wondered how the guy could be so be so optimisticoptimistic. P. 7.. P. 7.

ArterialArterial

For the rest of his life, whenever he For the rest of his life, whenever he thought of Marguerite, Eddie would thought of Marguerite, Eddie would see that moment, her waving over see that moment, her waving over her shoulder, her dark hair falling her shoulder, her dark hair falling

over one eye, and he would feel the over one eye, and he would feel the same same arterial arterial burst of love. P. 9.burst of love. P. 9.

NimbleNimble

Out on the ocean, diamonds of Out on the ocean, diamonds of sunlight danced on the water, and sunlight danced on the water, and

Eddie stared at their Eddie stared at their nimblenimble movement. P. 11.movement. P. 11.

CacophonyCacophony

It mixed in his head now with the It mixed in his head now with the cacophonycacophony of the crashing waves of the crashing waves

and children screaming on the and children screaming on the rides. P. 11.rides. P. 11.

FeignFeign

His older brother, Joe, is doing His older brother, Joe, is doing push-ups in front of a group of push-ups in front of a group of

elderly women, who elderly women, who feignfeign interest interest and clap politely. P. 23and clap politely. P. 23

PrimitivePrimitive

The teacup he had awoken in was The teacup he had awoken in was part of a part of a primitiveprimitive attraction called attraction called

Spin-O-Rama. P. 27Spin-O-Rama. P. 27

PromenadePromenade

Its sign was plywood, as were the Its sign was plywood, as were the other low-slung signs, hinged on other low-slung signs, hinged on

storefronts that lined the storefronts that lined the promenadepromenade: P. 27: P. 27

RazeRaze

Over there was the Loop-the-Loop ride Over there was the Loop-the-Loop ride – which had been torn down decades – which had been torn down decades

ago – and over the bathhouses and the ago – and over the bathhouses and the saltwater swimming pools that had saltwater swimming pools that had

been been razedrazed in the 1950s. P. 27 in the 1950s. P. 27

PristinePristine

Over there, jutting into the sky, was the Over there, jutting into the sky, was the original Ferris wheel – in its original Ferris wheel – in its pristinepristine white paint – and beyond that, the white paint – and beyond that, the

streets of his old neighborhood and the streets of his old neighborhood and the rooftops of the crowded brick rooftops of the crowded brick

tenements, with laundry lines hanging tenements, with laundry lines hanging from the windows. P. 27.from the windows. P. 27.

TenementsTenements

Over there, jutting into the sky, was the Over there, jutting into the sky, was the original Ferris wheel – in its pristine original Ferris wheel – in its pristine white paint – and beyond that, the white paint – and beyond that, the

streets of his old neighborhood and the streets of his old neighborhood and the rooftops of the crowded brick rooftops of the crowded brick

tenementstenements, with laundry lines hanging , with laundry lines hanging from the windows. P. 27.from the windows. P. 27.

LimberLimber

But he was But he was limberlimber. So . So limberlimber, in fact, , in fact, he could touch behind his ankles, and he could touch behind his ankles, and

raise his leg to his belly. P. 28.raise his leg to his belly. P. 28.

GingerlyGingerly

Eddie had not truly run in more than 60 Eddie had not truly run in more than 60 years, not since the war, but he was years, not since the war, but he was

running now, starting with a few running now, starting with a few gingerlygingerly steps, then accelerating into a steps, then accelerating into a full gait, faster, faster, like the running full gait, faster, faster, like the running

boy of his youth. P. 28.boy of his youth. P. 28.

GaitGait

Eddie had not truly run in more than 60 Eddie had not truly run in more than 60 years, not since the war, but he was years, not since the war, but he was

running now, starting with a few running now, starting with a few gingerly steps, then accelerating into a gingerly steps, then accelerating into a full full gaitgait, faster, faster, like the running , faster, faster, like the running

boy of his youth. P. 28boy of his youth. P. 28

MinaretMinaret

He ran along the Ruby Pier He ran along the Ruby Pier Promenade, beneath magnificent Promenade, beneath magnificent

buildings of Moorish design, with spires buildings of Moorish design, with spires and and minaretsminarets and onion-shaped and onion-shaped

domes. P. 28.domes. P. 28.

LeeringLeering

They were forced to sit in booths or on They were forced to sit in booths or on stages, sometimes behind bars, as stages, sometimes behind bars, as

patrons walked past them, patrons walked past them, leeringleering and and pointing. P. 30pointing. P. 30

PerversionPerversion

This tragic soul has endured a This tragic soul has endured a perversionperversion of nature… P. 30 of nature… P. 30

CarnageCarnage

He saw the He saw the carnagecarnage. “Ahh no, no, . “Ahh no, no, Eddie,” he moaned, grabbing his head. Eddie,” he moaned, grabbing his head.

P. 51P. 51

ImpotentImpotent

But they, too, fell into But they, too, fell into impotentimpotent postures, hands on their hips, waiting postures, hands on their hips, waiting

for the ambulances. P. 51.for the ambulances. P. 51.

PorousPorous

Blinking through the rain, he fingered Blinking through the rain, he fingered the dog tags, then scrambled backward the dog tags, then scrambled backward wildly into a wildly into a porousporous wall of stringy vines wall of stringy vines that hung from a massive banyan tree. that hung from a massive banyan tree.

P. 57.P. 57.

CompliedComplied

Sometimes the children asked Eddie to Sometimes the children asked Eddie to lift them over his head, and when lift them over his head, and when

Eddie Eddie compliedcomplied, he saw the mothers’ , he saw the mothers’ sad smiles: He guessed it was the right sad smiles: He guessed it was the right

lift but the wrong pair of arms. P. 58.lift but the wrong pair of arms. P. 58.

LankyLanky

He was older than the men in Eddie’s He was older than the men in Eddie’s troop, a lifetime military man with a troop, a lifetime military man with a

lankylanky swagger and a prominent chin swagger and a prominent chin that gave him a resemblance to a that gave him a resemblance to a

movie actor of the day. P. 64.movie actor of the day. P. 64.

SwaggerSwagger

He was older than the men in Eddie’s He was older than the men in Eddie’s troop, a lifetime military man with a troop, a lifetime military man with a

lanky lanky swaggerswagger and a prominent chin and a prominent chin that gave him a resemblance to a that gave him a resemblance to a

movie actor of the day. P. 64movie actor of the day. P. 64

ProminentProminent

He was older than the men in Eddie’s He was older than the men in Eddie’s troop, a lifetime military man with a troop, a lifetime military man with a

lanky swagger and a lanky swagger and a prominent prominent chin chin that gave him a resemblance to a that gave him a resemblance to a

movie actor of the day. P. 64movie actor of the day. P. 64

SeethedSeethed

Eddie mostly Eddie mostly seethedseethed. He clenched a . He clenched a fist and slapped it into his palm, hours fist and slapped it into his palm, hours

on end, knuckles to skin, like the on end, knuckles to skin, like the anxious baseball player he had been in anxious baseball player he had been in

his youth. P. 68.his youth. P. 68.

DiversionDiversion

The guards were en enjoying the The guards were en enjoying the diversiondiversion. Their posture slackened. P. . Their posture slackened. P.

71.71.

FirmamentFirmament

Stars appeared, millions of stars, like Stars appeared, millions of stars, like salt sprinkled across the greenish salt sprinkled across the greenish

firmamentfirmament. P. 98.. P. 98.

SucculentSucculent

He saw cooks wearing white paper He saw cooks wearing white paper hats, and plates of steaming food on hats, and plates of steaming food on the counter awaiting serving – food in the counter awaiting serving – food in the most the most succulentsucculent colors: deep red colors: deep red

sauces, yellow butter creams. P. 100.sauces, yellow butter creams. P. 100.

VeneerVeneer

And on occasion, as if to feed the And on occasion, as if to feed the weakest embers of a fire, Eddie’s weakest embers of a fire, Eddie’s

father let a wrinkle of pride crack the father let a wrinkle of pride crack the veneerveneer of his disinterest. P. 106. of his disinterest. P. 106.

ManeuveringManeuvering

At first, he ran the simpler rides, At first, he ran the simpler rides, maneuveringmaneuvering the brake levers, bringing the brake levers, bringing

train cars to a gentle stop. P. 107.train cars to a gentle stop. P. 107.

BeseechBeseech

She begged and wept and She begged and wept and beseechedbeseeched her husband to change his mind, to let her husband to change his mind, to let it go, but Eddie’s father would only say it go, but Eddie’s father would only say to her, through a clenched jaw, what he to her, through a clenched jaw, what he

said to others who made the same said to others who made the same request: “That boy raised a hand to request: “That boy raised a hand to

me.” P. 109.me.” P. 109.

InexplicablyInexplicably

Eddie slumped against a stainless Eddie slumped against a stainless steel was and dropped into a snow steel was and dropped into a snow bank, stung again by the denial of a bank, stung again by the denial of a

man whose love, almost man whose love, almost inexplicablyinexplicably, , he still coveted, a man ignoring him, he still coveted, a man ignoring him,

even in heaven. P. 110.even in heaven. P. 110.

CovetedCoveted

Eddie slumped against a stainless Eddie slumped against a stainless steel was and dropped into a snow steel was and dropped into a snow bank, stung again by the denial of a bank, stung again by the denial of a

man whose love, almost inexplicably, man whose love, almost inexplicably, he still he still covetedcoveted, a man ignoring him, , a man ignoring him,

even in heaven. P. 110.even in heaven. P. 110.

GauntGaunt

Her face was Her face was gauntgaunt, with sagging , with sagging cheeks, rose-colored lipstick, and cheeks, rose-colored lipstick, and tightly pulled-back white hair, thin tightly pulled-back white hair, thin

enough in parts to reveal the pink scalp enough in parts to reveal the pink scalp beneath it. P. 110.beneath it. P. 110.

AbhorredAbhorred

He He abhorredabhorred those who were born into those who were born into wealth, and rather enjoyed doing wealth, and rather enjoyed doing

things the ‘sophisticated people’ would things the ‘sophisticated people’ would never do. P. 115.never do. P. 115.

SophisticatedSophisticated

He abhorred those who were born into He abhorred those who were born into wealth, and rather enjoyed doing wealth, and rather enjoyed doing

things the ‘things the ‘sophisticatedsophisticated people’ would people’ would never do. P. 115.never do. P. 115.

IncandescentIncandescent

There were towers and spires and There were towers and spires and thousands of thousands of incandescentincandescent lights, so lights, so bright that at night, you could see the bright that at night, you could see the park from a ship’s deck on the ocean. park from a ship’s deck on the ocean.

P. 116.P. 116.

InevitableInevitable

He puts his right leg down first, out of He puts his right leg down first, out of habit, avoiding the habit, avoiding the inevitableinevitable stiffness stiffness

of his left. P. 117.of his left. P. 117.

RecededReceded

When the waves When the waves recededreceded, he yanked , he yanked Mickey forward with a final surge, then Mickey forward with a final surge, then

collapsed on the shore, his mouth collapsed on the shore, his mouth open, filling with wet sand. P. 136.open, filling with wet sand. P. 136.

VouchedVouched

““But many years earlier, when your But many years earlier, when your father was looking for work, it was father was looking for work, it was

Mickey who went to the pier owner and Mickey who went to the pier owner and vouchedvouched for him.” P. 137 for him.” P. 137

FalteredFaltered

He knew his shortcomings. He knew He knew his shortcomings. He knew he drank. He knew his judgment he drank. He knew his judgment

falteredfaltered. P. 137.. P. 137.

SubsequentSubsequent

For all that time, Eddie had imagined a For all that time, Eddie had imagined a certain life – a “could have been” life – certain life – a “could have been” life – that would have been his if not for his that would have been his if not for his

father’s death and his mother’s father’s death and his mother’s subsequentsubsequent collapse. P. 142. collapse. P. 142.

EarnestlyEarnestly

He hooked his fingers together He hooked his fingers together earnestlyearnestly, as if giving the matter some , as if giving the matter some

thought, and spoke as softly as he thought, and spoke as softly as he thought one should speak in such a thought one should speak in such a

situation. P. 145. situation. P. 145.

UniformityUniformity

The The uniformityuniformity did not surprise Eddie. did not surprise Eddie. He always figured a wedding here was He always figured a wedding here was

not much different from a wedding not much different from a wedding there. P. 149. there. P. 149.

ThresholdThreshold

He pushed himself though the He pushed himself though the thresholdthreshold one more time and found one more time and found himself in what appeared to be an himself in what appeared to be an

Italian village. P. 149. Italian village. P. 149.

ContraptionContraption

She fishes in a bag and pulls out a She fishes in a bag and pulls out a camera, a complicated camera, a complicated contraptioncontraption with with rods and tabs and a round flashbulb. rods and tabs and a round flashbulb.

P. 153. P. 153.

MischievouslyMischievously

He stood beside her, silent, until her He stood beside her, silent, until her dark eyes narrowed and he lips crept dark eyes narrowed and he lips crept

up up mischievouslymischievously. P. 156. . P. 156.

ExuberantExuberant

After losing twice in smaller bets, he After losing twice in smaller bets, he put it all on a horse to win in the sixth, put it all on a horse to win in the sixth, because, as he and Noel agreed, in because, as he and Noel agreed, in

exuberantexuberant logic, he’d arrived with next logic, he’d arrived with next to nothing, so what harm done if he to nothing, so what harm done if he went home the same way? P. 160.went home the same way? P. 160.