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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. Why is this birthday gift particularly important to Tim?

2. How many days is Dooley missing?

3. How many guests does Tim plan to have for dinner?

4. Who had Sadie fallen in love with long ago?

5. How many people are in Father Tim's congregation?

Short Essay Questions

1. Tim says he gets a "simple joy" from being with Cynthia. What do you think this is like?

2. What do you make of Tim finding jewels in the urn at the columbarium?

3. After reading Chapters 5-8, what sort of romantic partner do you think Father Tim needs or would want?

4. What do you think of the relationship between Tim and Dooley by Chapter 12?

5. What events in Chapters 9-12 lead readers to think more is going on than meets the eye?

6. Why do you think Tim doesn't think much about the future neighbor he will have?

7. Describe the town of Mitford from what you know after reading Chapters 1-4.

8. Why is Uncle Billy worried? How does Tim help alleviate this worry?

9. Describe the situation Father Tim faces at the beginning of Chapter 1.

10. Describe Tim's medical problem as addressed in Chapters 1-4.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The church plays a central role in Karon's book, providing a foundation for characters' world views. What do you think having a Christian church as the backdrop adds to the reader's understanding of events and characters?

Essay Topic 2

Identify the climax of this story and the series of events leading up to the climax. How do characters respond to the climax? What did Karon include in her story to insure that the climax would be as powerful and meaningful as possible?

Essay Topic 3

What is the purpose of a foil in literature? Describe one character in Karon's novel that you believe is a foil of another character. Why do you think Karon may have created characters in her work that emphasize each other's qualities?

(see the answer keys)

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