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1. How are the 3 main characters related to each other?

The three main characters are three generations of Westbrook women. Dorothea is Artie's mother, and the grandmother of Echo. Artie is Echo's mother.

2. What skill does Echo have, and how does this skill become a form of communication between Echo and her mother?

Echo is an unerring speller. Artie, her mother, is unable to really talk with her daughter. Instead, she calls her daughter on the phone and has Echo spell the words she calls to her from a dictionary. Even when Echo tries to talk to her mother, Artie continues to fire words at Echo to spell.

3. Why do you think Artie is unable to communicate effectively with her daughter?

Artie is unable to communicate effectively because of her traumatic upbringing. Her mother was very controlling, and Echo was never encouraged to explore her own wants and feelings.

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