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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. Why do people in Rain Valley often go silent when Cal's wife Lisa is mentioned?
(a) She is a compulsive liar.
(b) She is a kleptomaniac.
(c) She is chronically unfaithful.
(d) She has bipolar disorder.

2. In what state does Julia live when the narrative first begins?
(a) California.
(b) Illinois.
(c) Washington.
(d) New York.

3. The narrator states that for Julia, everything "in the past year, every thought and deed, led her back to" (51) what emotion?
(a) Anger.
(b) Sorrow.
(c) Regret.
(d) Hope.

4. For what reason does Julia agree to Ellie's request for help?
(a) She finds meaning in altruism.
(b) She wants to continue to hone her talk therapy skills.
(c) She has nothing better to do.
(d) She has few remaining patients.

5. How many dollars per hour is Julia said to make in her psychiatric practice?
(a) $50.
(b) $100.
(c) $75.
(d) $200.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Julia decides in the middle of the night to begin writing a book, she ends up "surrounded by balled-up yellow wads of paper," (46) all of which say only which two words?

2. Who leads the first press conference in an attempt to discover Girl's identity?

3. There are seats for how many reporters at the first press conference about Girl?

4. Which character does Julia name as having taught her that she should avoid men who play games?

5. Ellie says that until the arrival of Girl, her most difficult policing job involved what activity?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Julia mean when she tells Max that Girl is "just like a cat" (81)?

2. What is the outcome of Judge Myerson's decision regarding Julia's culpability for Amber's horrific acts?

3. What aspect of Max's character does Julia admit to being seduced by at the end of Chapter 11?

4. What is the goal of the press conference held in Pine Valley in Chapter 6?

5. What shift in narration occurs between Chapters 1 and 2?

6. What coping mechanism does Julia use to deal with the feelings evoked by seeing her ballerina music box in her childhood room?

7. In what way does Julia consider her mother to have been her closest ally in the family?

8. Describe the violent encounter that occurs between Julia and Girl in Chapter 5.

9. Who are Cal and Peanut?

10. In what way does the theme of hope enter the narrative in relation to Julia's position as a psychiatrist?

(see the answer keys)

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