2. After Julia tells Alice that a certain element "is everything," (171) she remembers that the last time she had used the phrase, she had been speaking to which character?

3. Which character asks Julia for help in getting closer to Alice?

4. What word does Alice say when Julia hears her speak a word for the first time?

5. To whom is Alice referring when the narration from her perspective describes a certain person as "Sun Hair" (165)?

Short Essay Questions

1. Compare Alice's feelings about Earl and Myra's house to her feelings about the church.

2. What two words does Alice think in Chapter 20 upon becoming "lost in the sea of faces and bodies" (278)?

3. What knowledge is described as "building in Julia, filling her lungs like a slow-growing case of pneumonia" (203)?

4. To what object does Alice object so strongly that Julia must throw it into the hallway in order to get Alice to calm down?

5. Provide evidence for the conclusion that Julia sees Alice's progress as a continuum, rather than a journey with a fixed destination.

6. What is revealed to be the reason behind Alice's fear of making noise?

7. In what way does Ellie surprise Julia in Chapter 14 and how does Julia react to the surprise?

8. In what ways does Julia exhibit changes in her demeanor at the same time as Alice makes rapid progress?

9. What element of the car ride with Alice bothers Alice and what does Julia decide to do about the situation?

10. What hypothesis does Julia form about Alice's early childhood and why does she form it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the function of Cal's character within the novel? Discuss the characterization methods used by Hannah in depicting Cal and include in your discussion the reasons that Hannah portrays Cal in these particular ways.