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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. In Chapter 3, how much money does Lydia withdraw from the bank?

2. In Chapter 13, how many times did Lydia remember that men pulled up on a motorcycle and shot a local journalist?

3. How many church vans are needed to take the missionaries and Luca and Lydia to Mexico City?

4. What book is delivered to Lydia in Chapter 5?

5. What does Lydia leave in the trunk of her car in Chapter 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the Biblioteca Miguel Lerdo de Tejada special to Lydia?

2. In Chapter 3, why is Lydia cautious when she approaches the family's car?

3. How does Lydia feel when she asks Javier if he is the cartel leader, and he confirms that he is?

4. Why do Lydia and Luca get off the bus in Chilpancingo?

5. In Chapter 1, who from Luca's extended family was at his grandmother's house and why?

6. How do the vans carrying the missionaries and Lydia and Luca make it past a roadblock?

7. In Chapter 5, how does Lydia know that Javier has found them at the hotel?

8. How did Lydia learn who Javier is?

9. Why are Lydia and Luca not able to fly to Mexico City?

10. Why might it have been a good idea for Luca to see the violence in the backyard?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Javier seems to be a very nice person from his discussions with Lydia in the bookstore. What does Lydia think of Javier before she learns who he is? How does her opinion of him change? What does the commander do that seems in contrast to the violence he and his men perpetrate? What is revealed about duality from the behavior of these men?

Essay Topic 2

What a reader knows about events and characters is determined by the point of view in a book. What is the point of view of the book? How does the point of view influence what readers know about events and people?

Essay Topic 3

Soledad and Rebeca both endure trauma. What trauma do the girls endure? How does Soledad seem to be able to rise above the trauma? How does Rebeca seem devastated by the trauma? Do they cope differently with the trauma they experience? How does trauma affect them differently?

(see the answer keys)

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