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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. At the end of Chapter 7, how much longer does Sarah tell Miles she will continue to tutor Jonah?

2. In Chapter 14, how did Miles and Sarah spend Halloween?

3. In Chapter 3, where does Miles tell Sarah his father went after his mother's death?

4. In Chapter 15, how does Maureen introduce Miles to all of Sarah's relatives during Thanksgiving dinner?

5. In Chapter 1, what reason does Jonah give Miles for not telling him about the trouble he was having in class?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Sarah react to the news that her ex-husband is planning to remarry? Why does she react this way?

2. What did Miles do the day Missy died rather than stay home and care for the lawn as she asked? What were the last words he said to her that day?

3. What does the unnamed narrator in Chapter 4 tell the reader kept Miles from looking for Missy on the day of her death when she was late coming home? Who told Miles about Missy's accident?

4. How does Miles deal with Jonah's many nightmares?

5. In Chapter 13, how does Miles react when Sarah tells him she cannot have children?

6. In Chapter 1, what did Miles find in Jonah's backpack? What does Jonah have to say about it?

7. Why does Sarah tell Miles in Chapter 3 that she does not usually tutor students herself but will make an exception in this case?

8. Why does Brenda insist on talking with Sarah about Miles? What does Brenda tell Sarah about Miles?

9. In Chapter 12, what does Miles tell Sarah about Missy? How does Sarah respond?

10. What reason does Sarah give for inviting Miles and Jonah to her family home for Thanksgiving dinner?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is Miles Ryan? Why is he having trouble sleeping at the beginning of the novel? What is Miles thinking about? What has his life been like since the death of his wife? Why has the death of his wife touched his life so profoundly? Why does Miles worry about his son, Jonah? Why does Miles think he is not the type of man to be alone? What does this say about Miles' feelings for his wife, Missy? How do the opening chapters suggest that Miles has changed as a person since his wife's death? Are these changes good? Bad? How have they impacted Miles' life overall?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following relationships in an essay:

1) Miles and Jonah.

2) Jonah and Sarah.

3) Sarah and her mother.

4) Miles and Charlie.

Essay Topic 3

Why does Charlie take Miles' guns and his case file in Missy's death? What is Charlie afraid Miles will do? Does the reader think Miles is capable of such an act? Why does Miles later find a gun that he had hidden away? What does Miles plan to do with this gun? Would killing the person responsible really make things easier for Miles in regards to Missy's death? Would Missy have wanted him to do such a thing? What would happen to Jonah? Would Charlie be able to arrest Miles for such an act?

(see the answer keys)

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