View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What is still broiling as Ginny decides to leave Ty--actually they are still on the stove as she walks out the door?

2. ___________ discovers the remnants of the fifth miscarriage buried in the old dairy barn being converted for the hog operation.

3. ___________ tells Ginny and Caroline they can take any personal possessions they want from the house and farm.

4. Feeling too awkward to go to the pool to swim, Ginny heads over to the ___________.

5. Rose remembers that her mother died when she was at _____________.

Short Essay Questions

1. Who takes care of the funeral arrangements for Pete, since Harold and Larry are not present?

2. What was the one thing, Ginny thinks, her father had stolen from her in her life and in her marriage?

3. Why did the bank not give Ty a loan this year for his farm and for his hog operation?

4. Why does Ty hope for good weather at the beginning of this chapter?

5. How did Ginny cover for Caroline when they were younger, Caroline being 14 and Ginny being 22?

6. What does Mr. Cartier tell Ginny and Rose, Pete and Ty to do in order to keep up with their case?

7. What does Rose want Ginny to do for her daughters, Pammy and Linda, that night instead of taking them back with Ginny?

8. What did Pete tell Rose the week before when she told him about her affair with Jess?

9. What is the status of Harold's eyes after his accident with the ammonia?

10. Where does Ginny decide to swim in order to clear her mind and to get away from others?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At times, it seems the author is not revealing a lot about some characters, which causes those characters to be more mysterious and more difficult to understand.

Part 1: Why do you think the author felt it was so important to focus on the lives of Ginny and Rose?

Part 2: Why do you think Caroline was ignored a bit as a character in the story?

Part 3: What is the value of not revealing everything about a character in a novel?

Essay Topic 2

Much of the novel is sad, depressing, and perhaps even tragic. However, in the face of all this tragedy, it is hard to begin to see who might have suffered more.

Part 1: Describe the tragedy of one character in this story. How has his/her past and/or present pain changed him/her?

Part 2: Do you think it's possible to avoid tragedy in this story? Why or why not?

Part 3: Why do you think the author focused so much on the tragedy of the characters in this story?

Essay Topic 3

Many of the characters have their moments of seeming to be normal and well-adjusted and even happy, but at other times, these are simply guises under which they hide.

Part 1: Why do you think so many characters hide their true feelings in this story?

Part 2: What does it say about the author's own ability to trust people at face value?

Part 3: How might the story have been different had the characters simply acted in an honest and authentic way?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 742 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample