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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. Who does Billy think killed January?

2. What do the police think about the graffiti on the barn in Chapter Seven?

3. What is Margot's father's name?

4. What is broken in the Jacobs's house the night January disappears?

5. What is Margot's last name?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Margot find out some more about the town and people's feelings about recent events in Chapter Eight?

2. Why does Margaret return to her hometown of Wakarusa?

3. How does Margot aim to get her old job back?

4. Why is Luke recently having a harder time in his life?

5. Who do many in Wakarusa killed January?

6. What does the graffiti on Billy's barn say in Part II?

7. Who does Margot see who she thinks is following her?

8. Who does Detective Townsend tell Margot he knows killed January?

9. Why does Margot get fired?

10. What is Billy's family known for in Wakarusa?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Flowers describe Margot's feelings about reporting - her job - throughout the novel? How does reporting become a part of Margot's self-identity? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

How does Flowers establish and maintain suspense throughout this novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Why does Krissy always feel as if she, as January's mother, was always under greater scrutiny and suspicion as a potential suspect than Billy, as the father, was? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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