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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. Where is Hasina taken by her family to marry a cousin who owns an auto shop in Chapter 23?

2. What is the Farsi speaking Tajik region northeast of Kabul that Fariba's family is from?

3. What American President does Rasheed describe resigning over a scandal in Chapter 10?

4. What is Tariq's father's profession?

5. Where does Tariq say that he and his family are going in Chapter 25?

Short Essay Questions

1. How has Mariam's relationship with Rasheed evolved in Chapter 14? What has led to these changes?

2. How would you describe Mariam's relationship with each of her parents in Chapter 1?

3. How has Fariba's behavior changed in Chapter 20? What does Laila make of these changes?

4. How is Laila's relationship with Tariq described in Chapter 18? How does Laila feel about Tariq's family?

5. When does Chapter 21 take place? What is the political atmosphere like in Afghanistan at this time?

6. What political even does Laila's family witness in Chapter 22? What do they make of this affair?

7. What circumstances lend themselves to Mariam's feelings of isolation in Chapter 10?

8. What leads to the change in Fariba's behavior in Chapter 23? How does her behavior change?

9. How has Mariam adjusted to married life by the beginning of Chapter 11?

10. What news is delivered to Laila's family in Chapter 19? How does Laila's mother handle this information?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Mir Akbar Khyber’s assassination and the politics in Afghanistan in 1978. What were the repercussions of the assassination? How did this change the political atmosphere in Kabul? How did this event contribute to the downfall of President Daoud Khan's government?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the setting of Herat, Afghanistan in the 1960s. Who was the leader of the country at this time? What was the political atmosphere like? How many people lived in Herat? How was wealth distributed in the country and the city? Where does Mariam live with her mother at this time? What is their home like?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the history, implementation, and tenets of Shari'a Law in Afghanistan. When in Afghanistan’s history was the wearing of burqas first enforced? What limitations do women face regarding travel under Shari’a Law? How does this enforcement play a role in the actions of Mariam and Laila in the story?

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