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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. After Eric makes a derogatory comment about Merit's baby, Merit does what?

2. Mr Paradise and Merit's new baby turns out to be what?

3. Julia decided she wanted her mother engaged after becoming what?

4. Slip is where when the ladies arrive at her house to invite her out for a snowball fight?

5. Faith's father died and left what for her?

Short Essay Questions

1. Does Mary Jo have the right attitude toward Kari and Julia?

2. Was the accident that killed Faith's mother Faith's fault?

3. How is Slip's illness reminiscent of the opening of the book and what could it mean in reference to the beginning of the book?

4. How does the relationship between Eric and Merit come full-circle at Reni's college graduation?

5. What unusual turn does the book club meeting take, when Slip hosts it?

6. How does Merit feel about the man who watches her in the library?

7. Describe Fred and Slip's relationship in this section.

8. Julia and Kari don't speak for over a year. What finally causes them to reconcile?

9. What is the major conflict after the circus?

10. Do you feel that it was right for Kari to be so attached to her dog and so upset that it died?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Confession is another main theme of the story. Choose and describe one of the following three confessions in detail. Then, explain your thoughts about the event. How did it affect the book as a whole? Do you agree with how it was handled? Why or why not?

1. Merit confesses to being abused.

2. Faith confesses to lying about her mother.

3. Kari confesses the truth about the adoption to Julia.

Essay Topic 2

Eric, Faith and Kari, especially, are very much affected by their pasts in the novel.

Part 1. List at least two examples each where each of the characters of Faith, Eric and Kari are affected by their pasts.

Part 2. Why do you think that, in general, people's pasts affect their futures and do you think that those affects are always negative? Why or why not?

Part 3. Have you ever been affected by your past? If so, in what way?

Essay Topic 3

Kari takes some heat when she adopts Julia because Julia is of mixed race. Using at least three hundred words, describe your thoughts about Julia's race and about race in general. For example, do you feel that any race is inferior to any other race? Why or why not? Also, how would you handle the harassment from others, if you were Julia or Kari?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,109 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample