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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 does Richard believe is his true legacy?

2. While Karina is in New Orleans, what does Richard attempt to do?

3. When Bill demands to speak privately with Karina, he expresses what concern?

4. Why has Richard given up banking his voice?

5. What does Tommy tell Richard?

Short Essay Questions

1. What offer does Elise make as Karina, Elise, and Grace take a morning walk? How does Grace help this plan?

2. What changes does Richard see in Karina following her trip to New Orleans?

3. What does Karina imagine during the piano lesson with Dylan?

4. While Karina is in New Orleans, what does Richard try to do? Why?

5. Following her trip to New Orleans, what surprise does Karina have for Richard? How does he respond?

6. How does Grace learn of Richard's diagnosis?

7. What is makowiec, and what happens when Richard asks to sample some?

8. After moving back in with Karina, where does Richard stay? What is notable about this room?

9. What situation causes Grace and Richard to grow closer together while Karina is in New Orleans?

10. What revelation does Karina experience in New Orleans?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At one point in the novel, Richard thinks that “living with ALS is a practice in the art of Zen” (98). Explain the truth behind this belief as evidenced by the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay defining love from Karina’s perspective. What is love, according to Karina?

Essay Topic 3

The idea of one’s personal story is a common idea in the novel. At one point, Karina thinks “how the story of their lives can be an entirely different genre depending on the narrator” (29). Discuss how Richard, Karina, and Grace might tell different versions of the same shared history.

(see the answer keys)

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