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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 was in the briefcase belonging to the man next to Lia on the airplane?

2. What does Richard think that Julian would rather play with?

3. In the second chapter, it says that Ayinde has not had a close friend since when?

4. In "October Kelly," where is Kelly returning from?

5. What problems did Ayinde's mother have?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Richard asks if "it's supposed to be this hard" and he answers "everything" to Ayinde. What does Richard mean by "everything"?

2. What are some reasons Becky refuses or does not want to speak to Mimi, her mother-in-law?

3. What is the symbolism of Mimi wearing a white dress to Becky and Andrew's wedding?

4. Why is Becky so devastated that the doctor wants to perform a c-section?

5. In the chapter "July Ayinde," why is Richard unhappy in the middle of the night?

6. Jennifer Weiner paints a picture of motherhood in the opening scene of "August Becky." How is this picture humorous?

7. How does Weiner paint Mimi in the chapter "September Becky"?

8. What is the symbolism of Lia tucking her hair under the baseball cap as she heads for the Parents Together Grief group?

9. Why does Kelly panic when she finds out that Steve wants to become a teacher?

10. Kelly jokes, "It takes a village to feed my child." What does this mean?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many characters in the story have experienced a loss. Choose one loss. Tell about this loss and how it affected the character.

Essay Topic 2

How is Ayinde affected by learning of her son's heart murmur? How does this "hole in the heart" to Ayinde's son reflect the injury that Ayinde has sustained on an emotional level? What do Ayinde's son's prospects for health imply about Ayinde's health and the health of her friends?

Essay Topic 3

All four main characters are very different and have four very different lives with their husbands. Some women are forced to quit their jobs and stay at home with their children while the other women can go back to their careers. What are the similarities and differences among each of the four families?

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