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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. How old was Jonah the day of his mother's funeral?

2. In Chapter 6, what excuse does Sarah learn she can use if she is ever late for an appointment again?

3. Who is Mrs. Knowlson?

4. In Chapter 12, what plans does Jonah make with friends?

5. What river can Miles see from his back porch?

Short Essay Questions

1. Whom does Sarah run into as she waits for Miles to get their drinks at the Tavern? What is her initial impression of him?

2. What does Miles tell Sarah about his family during their first date? How does Sarah react to the information?

3. What are the two boys hunting in an abandoned house when Miles catches them in chapter 7? What does he do?

4. Why does Sarah show up at Jonah's soccer game one Saturday at the end of Chapter 7? How does Miles react?

5. Why does the unnamed narrator tell the reader he went to Missy's funeral?

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

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

8. How did Miles come to have a case file on the death of his wife? What does he do with it?

9. In Chapter 9, Jonah is convinced Miles and Miss Andrews are going to get married because they are going on a date. How does Miles handle this situation?

10. How does Miles react when Charlie tells him that Otis Timson would be released from jail that day? For what reason?

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

Who is Missy Ryan? How did she die? What does the unnamed narrator say about Missy? Why does the unnamed narrator make it clear that this book is not about Missy? What was Miles and Missy's relationship like? How might their lives had played out if Missy had not been killed? What impact did Missy's death have on her son? What impact did it have on her husband? How did Missy's death impact the small town of New Bern? How do these changes play a role in this novel?

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?

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