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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is James's secret to staying alive on the battlefield?
(a) His prayers every morning and night.
(b) His apathy about life and death.
(c) His desperate desire to return home to family.
(d) His strong belief in fate.

2. What is the name of Mercedes' best friend?
(a) Fanny.
(b) Eileen.
(c) Annabelle.
(d) Helen.

3. What is Ambrose buried in?
(a) James's work shirt.
(b) His christening gown.
(c) Materia's wedding dress.
(d) Frances's nightgown.

4. What type of man does Kathleen want to marry when she grows up?
(a) A talented musician she can perform with.
(b) A strong man with good values.
(c) Kathleen does not want to get married.
(d) A rich man to fund her singing career.

5. What was the name of Materia's younger sister?
(a) Camille.
(b) Deliah.
(c) Bernadette.
(d) Adelaide.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who does James borrow money from to jump start his new business?

2. When Mercedes remembers the incident at the river, what did she think Frances was bathing?

3. What does Mrs. Luvovitz sell by the roadside?

4. What did Materia's mother read to tell James's fortune?

5. How does Kathleen's accompanist feel about Kathleen's voice?

Short Essay Questions

1. What film stars do the Piper girls idolize?

2. What job does Materia get to help pay for Kathleen's private education?

3. What is the last thing Kathleen sees before she dies?

4. What is significant about Daddy's position in the armchair in the photograph of him described in the novel's prologue?

5. What is James's job in battle, and how does he manage to survive?

6. How does baby Ambrose die?

7. How does Materia respond to her first pregnancy?

8. What story does Frances tell Lily about the christening gown?

9. What is James obsessed with during his deployment, and how does that fuel his future upon returning home?

10. What is the difference between Other Lily and baby Ambrose, both who died in infancy?

(see the answer keys)

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