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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Abigail's imagination, who stands next to her on the porch in the first Book of Abigail?

2. Who says, "liars' tongues drop off"?

3. What attacks William so that he coats his body with muck?

4. From whose viewpoint is the first Book of Abigail written.

5. Who says that William's decision to remain a widower is indecent?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the first Book of Abigail, what does Abigail remember of being a child in this house?

2. Explain the term Freejack.

3. What memories does Abigail think of after she thinks the owl flies over the river?

4. What is the appearance of the front yard in the first section/chapter?

5. What are Abigail's younger children doing as she stands on the porch?

6. What has survived the frost in the first section to Abigail's surprise and how?

7. What does Aimee Legendre Howland have a craving for, and how does she meet this craving?

8. How is the content of "The Keepers of the House" organized?

9. What is Abigail's reasoning for watering the geraniums so late in the season?

10. Describe the still that William eventually finds.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss ways that this book may be view as dated. Be certain to address belief systems and attitudes. Is there anything that still rings true today?

Essay Topic 2

Explain why, in your opinion, that the author jumps from the beginning of William and Margaret's relationship to the fact that "She bore him five children, all told. Three of them lives, two girls and a boy." Why is more of their relationship not shown to the reader?

Essay Topic 3

In reciting the history of the Howlands, deaths are treated matter-of-factly and with little emotion. While the scene of Lorena's death carries little emotion, it is described with great detail. Why is this significant?

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