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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. What makes Sarah think that Otis Timson might be in danger from Miles?

2. In Chapter 35, who was babysitting Jonah throughout Miles' whole ordeal with Brian?

3. What does Miles pull out of hiding and begin to study?

4. In Chapter 17, what does the author say many people do in Sims' presence without thinking about it because of his appearance?

5. In Chapter 19, who confronts Miles when he reaches his destination?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 26, what does Charlie do when Miles reports for work first thing in the morning?

2. How does Miles react when Sarah and Brian tell him the truth about the accident that killed Missy?

3. In Chapter 16, what does the unnamed narrator say he did when he saw Missy up ahead of him on the road?

4. What story does Sims tell Miles that makes Miles rush out of the sheriff's office without first speaking to Charlie?

5. In Chapter 28, why does the unnamed narrator say he finally felt as though he could stop watching the Ryan home? Why is this?

6. In Chapter 27, whom does Sarah turn to for advice about Miles? What is Sarah most concerned about in regards to Miles?

7. In Chapter 29, why does Brian suddenly feel it is important to tell Sarah to make Miles back off of Otis Timson? What does Brian reveal to the reader in this chapter?

8. How does Charlie react when he learns that Miles arrested Otis Timson?

9. Who calls Charlie with information about Miles? What does Charlie do as a result of these phone calls?

10. In Chapter 22, after visiting Earl Getlin, what conclusion does Charlie come to about Sims' statements?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

What is Miles' job? How does the author introduce this occupation to the reader? Is Miles good at his job? Why does Miles let two boys go after he catches them shooting owls in an abandoned house? Why did the author include this scene in his book? What does this scene say about Miles? What does it say about Miles as a sheriff's deputy? Later, why does the author have Miles be the deputy who arrests Sims Addison? What impact does this arrest have on Miles? What information does Sims give to Miles? What might Sims have done if it had been different deputy who arrested him that night? Why did Sims wait so long to come forward with this information?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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