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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. Cecily sends Helene photos that show her husband is what?

2. What first edition book does Frank offer to send Helene in the fall of 1950?

3. When does Frank sign his first letter to Helene with his full name instead of initials?

4. What does Cecily imagine Helene to look like?

5. Helene says that from where she sits, London is a lot closer than _____________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Helene think of the first books she receives from Marks & Co. versus the books she buys in America?

2. Why does Helene Hanff write the first letter to the proprietors of the Marks & Co. bookstore in London, England?

3. What shocking news does Helene receive from Marks & Co. in 1968?

4. Why does Helene need to stop purchasing books in 1961?

5. Why does Cecily request that Helene save any travel plans to England until 1955?

6. What does the staff of Marks & Co. send to Helene to thank her for her generosity?

7. What terms does Helene play "girl etymologist" for Maxine, and explain?

8. What news about Cecily does Nora share with Helene?

9. What do Frank and the rest of the Marks & Co. staff send to Helene as a token of their appreciation for the care packages?

10. What happens to Helene's home in 1956?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of appearance versus reality throughout the book.

Essay Topic 2

The death of Frank marks the end of many things for Helene and the beginning of others. Discuss how Helene must have felt about Frank's death and what changes that it brought to her life.

Essay Topic 3

What does Helene mean when she says she developed her "peculiar taste in books" from a Cambridge professor? Do you think she actually met this person in the library or "fell over" his book? Do you think she means literally "fell over" or metaphorically?

(see the answer keys)

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