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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. What was Marie Micheline studying in 1974?

2. What disease does Danticat's father Mira suffer from?

3. What does Danticat's brother Bob tell her about their mother's feelings on how Danticat reveals her pregnancy to her parents?

4. What age is Danticat when she moves in with Uncle Joseph and Tante Denise?

5. What does Marie Micheline name her baby?

Short Essay Questions

1. What force does Uncle Joseph and Mira's father, Granpe Nozial, join in the early decades of the 1900s in Haiti?

2. What illness does Uncle Joseph suffer from that eventually robs him of his voice?

3. Why does Danticat decide not to tell her extended family about her pregnancy right away?

4. Which politician does Uncle Joseph admire in the 1950s in Haiti and why?

5. How does Uncle Joseph first meet Tante Denise?

6. In the section titled "Good-bye," how do the children determine that Granme Melina has died?

7. What does Danticat's mother do for her in preparation for her leaving for the United States in the section titled "Heartstrings, Shoestrings"?

8. Where had Danticat moved to from Brooklyn in 2002?

9. In the section titled "Good-bye," what book does Danticat select to buy for herself while out with Joseph and why?

10. What does Danticat's mother give to her at the last possible minute at the airport to take with her on the plane?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay explaining the significance of Mira's first gift to Danticat when she arrives in the United States - a typewriter.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing some of the factors that Danticat explains went awry that led to her Uncle Joseph being detained by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol in 2004. How does Danticat feel about the events of that time period in the United States that ultimately led to Joseph's death?

Essay Topic 3

At several points in the book, traditional Haitian food is brought out to provide comfort and security. Write an essay exploring the importance of traditional dishes, cooking, and Haitian food to Danticat and her family.

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