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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. At the end of "January Lia," what shows that Lia and Helen are beginning to heal their relationship?

2. What does Kelly use to make a coffee table when the reporter came to visit in the chapter "January Kelly"?

3. What does Becky tell Andrew after he agrees to let his mother go?

4. What is in the bag that Andrew brings home from the drugstore when he returns to Becky in "January Becky"?

5. When Becky comes to visit with Ayinde in "December Ayinde," what does she bring with her?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Becky crack the tough shell Mimi has built around her?

2. What is the huge plot twist that happens in "January Becky"?

3. Explain how the title of the story has a double meaning.

4. What is symbolic about Lia mentioning that she wished she had her mother's blue coat when she is going to talk to Merrill?

5. One of the main themes of the book is forgiveness. How is that played out in "February Becky"?

6. How does the author begin to show suspense in "December Ayinde"?

7. What is Kelly trying to do by not letting Steve help even when he offers?

8. Describe how Kelly struggles in "December Kelly" with raising the baby and working.

9. What is ironic about Kelly and Steve's fight?

10. How is Mimi's self-absorption shown in "October Becky"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the midst of personal troubles, Becky's friends have difficulty finding ways that their lives are blessed and how they are fortunate. In particular, Kelly tends to be scornful when people call her lucky. But, towards the end of the story, she starts to realize how blessed and fortunate she is. How does motherhood tend to put things into perspective for Becky? What does Becky learn from her friends?

Essay Topic 2

Having a baby brought about many changes in the friends' sense of self. Choose one of the friends and describe in detail, using examples from the story, how their sense of self changed.

Essay Topic 3

Of all the main characters, Becky is the character who struggles with physical appearance. She looks in the mirror and questions whether she is pregnant or just fat. Although Becky has struggled with her body image most of her life, the pregnancy really makes her draw attention to her weight. She has hoped that through the pregnancy she could relax with the weight issue, but it has not. How do this disappointment and her struggle with weight loss and body image affect her view of pregnancy?

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This section contains 846 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample