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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. Which of the following did NOT describe Nancy's mother?

2. How old was Wally Lamb when he knew he wanted to teach?

3. How long had Wally conducted writing sessions with the women at the time he compiled this book?

4. At what age was Tabatha originally raped?

5. What propelled Wally into the world of being a well-known author?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Tabatha's hair mirror what she was going through in different phases of her life and how did she wear her hair after five years in prison?

2. Who was Isadore Weintraub, and what role did he play in Nancy's life?

3. Describe some of Carolyn's experiences during a very troubled childhood.

4. Nancy Whiteley also wrote the story, "Orbiting Izzy". What was the premise of this story?

5. What was Carolyn's crime?

6. How had Wally become a well-known author in America?

7. How did Nancy's family disintegrate and how did Nancy manage being alone with her abusive mother?

8. Who was Aldo and what influence did he have on Nancy's life?

9. Why did Carolyn think that she was so out of place in the holding cell, and how long did it take before she was convicted?

10. Why did Nancy not like the book, "Wind, Sand, and Stars" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery even though she had enjoyed his "The Little Prince"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose three characters from different stories, and then project into the future ten years and write a brief synopsis for their lives. Be sure to include geography, marital status, work, socialization, incarceration, etc.

Essay Topic 2

The women's stories contain more than one iteration on the theme of disappointment. Identify at least two characters in the stories who either embody or experience disappointment then cite an example to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

A few of the women are very forthcoming about their premarital sexual relations and some abortions. Why did those women make those decisions that they did? What would the women advise young women today regarding such important life decisions? Would the women make the same choices today if they had to do it all over again? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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