View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did Teresa come to Canada to live?

2. Why does Karin take Austin to the lake?

3. Brent persuaded other parishioners that they needed a ___________________ kind of preacher.

4. Who was the woman who gave Anita and Margot coffee on their way to school?

5. Who is the husband of Georgia's deceased friend?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Margot get even with Reuel after his affair with their babysitter and manage to get all the things she had ever wanted in life?

2. What sad event does the snowstorm prompt Karin to recall and why does she take Austin to the lake to photograph the ice?

3. How did Georgia meet Maya and Raymond as well as Hilda and Harvey? What secret does Georgia learn about the marriages of these two couples?

4. How does Joan's hometown of Logan contribute to people's needs to fit in and not be too distinctive?

5. Who is Jeanine and what is her purpose for being on the ship?

6. Why are the circumstances of Austin's death unclear and what speculation could occur about it?

7. Why had Teresa come to Canada and what troubles has she had in her marriage to Reuel?

8. What is Joan's married life like and what does she learn about the relationship between Morris and Matilda?

9. What story does the captain tell about two sister who once traveled on the ship?

10. What is the symbolism of the red stained glass through which Joan views the world?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of women in Canada in the late-20th century when the women in the stories are living their lives. What precedents do they feel compelled to follow? What restrictions do they have? What freedoms did they have that 21st century women do not have?

Essay Topic 2

The author uses more than one instance of irony in the book. Cite at least two other examples you can identify in the stories and note why they are examples of irony.

Essay Topic 3

Loss seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of loss? Why does it have such a prevalent place in the characters' lives? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,569 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample