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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 did Diane call each one of her chapters?

2. How old was Mo'Shay?

3. Which of the following does NOT describe how Barbara feels about herself?

4. What was Bonnie's faith when she arrived in prison?

5. What crime did Brenda commit to land her in prison?

Short Essay Questions

1. What memory from her past did Mo'Shay have that made her apprehensive about having sex with Reese?

2. How did Bonnie's role at the prison change from when she was a new inmate to the present day?

3. What did Brenda's mother do to her one night from which her father had to save Brenda and what did her father pray for each night?

4. How did Diane's father betray her trust with violence while on a trip to Chattanooga?

5. Who were Barbara Parsons Lane's first visitors while in prison, and what did she consider to be the worst part of her incarceration?

6. How difficult was it for Bonnie to stay true to her religious practices while in prison?

7. What did Robin note about the less than spiritual activities going on during mass?

8. When did Brenda Medina realize what her mother's terrible secret was?

9. Who was Manny and what negative impact did he have on Brenda's life?

10. What effect did Barbara think that her incarceration had on her children?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The women in the book were no strangers to hurt and pain. From what you know of the women's lives through this book, what were some of the biggest sorrows and worst betrayals? How did they manage through them? How did their coping skills evidence themselves in many aspects of their lives? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Several of the women's stories are classic stories of loss and renewal. What does that classification entail? Why do some of the stories fit into this category? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Explain your opinion of the women's writing styles. Did they deliver information succinctly? How did they develop the personalities? What was the general tone of the stories? What was the most appealing aspect of the women's writing for you? Explain.

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